Iron fortified formula can lead to lower IQ, study finds
A groundbreaking study by American scientists has found that
"iron-fortified" infant formula can lead to neurodevelopmental delays in
healthy children. The extensive study, conducted on nearly 500 Chilean
infants and spanning 10 years, found that by the age of 10, healthy infants
who had been fed iron-rich formula scored lower on every neurological tests
used by the researchers. These included tests for spatial memory, visual
motor integration, IQ, visual perception and motor coordination. The
high-iron group had lower scores "on every outcome," said Dr. Betsy Lozoff,
the principal researcher. These included tests for spatial memory, visual
motor integration, IQ, visual perception and motor coordination. There was
an 11-point difference in IQ scores between the low-iron and high-iron
groups.
The babies in the study who were not fed iron-fortified formula were fed
regular formula. Given the importance of breastfeeding for healthy cognitive
development, it is expected that the demonstrated differences in outcomes
would have been even greater had the iron-fortified group been compared with
breastfed children.
While iron-fortified formula was said to have some benefits for
iron-defecient babies, those with sufficient iron levels appeared to be
adversely affected. Iron defeciency is not considered a problem for most
infants in the industrialized world. Breastmilk has been shown to provide
infants with sufficient amounts of iron even when mothers are
undernnourished.
"Most of us in the iron field would be comfortable with formulas having less
iron in them," said Dr. Michael Georgieff, "[...] there may be potential
toxicity in certain groups consuming a high-iron formula."
Many formula labels carry messages like "iron fortified" or "infant formula
with iron." These messages appeal to parents who have long been told
children benefit from receiving iron. In light of this new study, such
marketing tactics appear highly irresponsible. Clearly, formula companies
have never taken the time to investigate the potential impact of high-iron
formulas on healthy children, and have been marketing iron-fortified
products to the general public for years with no warning of its
consequences. Unless formula companies change their marketing in light of
this evidence, they will be knowingly endangering the cognitive development
of the infants who consume their products.
Study: Neurodevelopmental Delays Associated With Iron-Fortified Formula for
Healthy Infants, Lozoff et. Al.
Presented at PAS 2008: Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for
Pediatric Research Joint Meeting