Effect of iron deficiency anemia on visual evoked potential of growing children

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most prevalent yet neglected nutritional deficiencies in the world. Iron is an essential micronutrient and it is ubiquitous in distribution in body. Iron deficiency leads to anemia, hampered physical growth and capacity, and decreased immunoprotective mechanisms. Impairments in cognitive and motor development in children are also seen in iron deficiency. There is increasing number of evidence to support that iron plays important role in central nervous system functions that include synthesis of neurotransmitters and myelination of the nerve. The objective of our study was to observe the effect of iron deficiency anemia on visual evoked potential (VEP) in children between 6 and 24 months of age. The subjects were categorized on the basis of hematological parameters in two groups: iron replete children in the control group (n = 25) and iron deplete children in the anemic group (n = 25). Iron status of the children was also assessed. Due care was taken to exclude all conditions known to adversely affect the visual evoked potential or the iron status of the children. Flash VEP was studied in all children from each eye individually. In both eyes each of the three waves (N1, P1 and N2) of the flash VEP showed longer latencies (p < 0.05) in the anemic group compared with the control group. A negative correlation was found between the severity of iron deficiency anemia and latencies of waves of VEP. Hence, there is a need for prevention and early detection of iron deficiency anemia in growing infants.