Doctor: Effects of iron deficiency on infant brain development can be permanent

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A paediatric specialist from the Haematology-Oncology Coordination Unit of the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI), Prof. Dr. dr. Murti Andriastuti, Sp.A, Subsp.H.Onk.(K), has stated that the effects of iron deficiency on an infant’s brain development can be permanent.

During an IDAI online seminar in Jakarta on Tuesday, she explained that the impact of iron deficiency on infant brain development cannot be reversed, even if interventions are implemented to address the deficiency.

“For example, if a baby suffers from iron deficiency anaemia, we can treat it. We can provide iron supplements until levels are normal. If the haemoglobin (Hb) is very low and requires it, we might need a transfusion, and levels can return to normal,” she explained.

“However, even if laboratory parameters appear normal, the impact of the iron deficiency that has already occurred—particularly on brain development—is irreversible. This means the development cannot return to the standard of a child who never experienced iron deficiency,” she said.

She noted that the brain develops rapidly during the early stages of life, and iron is essential to support this development, including the processes of plasticity and myelinisation.

According to her, the requirement for iron is high during the first year of life because the brain volume is expanding significantly during this period.

“Because brain volume will expand very rapidly during the first year of age,” she added.

In addition to impacting brain development, iron deficiency during the first 1,000 days of life can also affect a child’s overall growth and development.

She explained that in the early stages, ferritin levels—which reflect iron reserves—may decrease while haemoglobin levels remain normal. In such conditions, a child may appear healthy and active.

“In the early stage, it is only the ferritin. If this goes unnoticed and the diet is also low in iron, it progresses into a deficiency,” she said.

Because the initial symptoms are difficult to recognise, she stated that early screening to detect iron deficiency must be conducted, especially during the first 1,000 days of life, to prevent iron deficiency in infants.

She expressed hope that these efforts could be carried out collectively by the government, healthcare professionals, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure children can be protected from iron deficiency from the earliest stages of life.