Abstract
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of antenatal exposure to iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and
common mental disorders (CMD) on cognitive development of 6 months old infants in a developing country.
Methods:
A prospective population-based study in a rural province in Vietnam, which enrolled pregnant women at 12–20 weeks gestation and followed them up with their infants until six months postpartum. Criteria for IDA were Hb, 11 g/dL and serum ferritin, 15 ng/mL. CMD symptoms were assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale-Vietnam validation. Infant cognitive development was assessed by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Ed. Path analyses were performed to determine the direct and indirect, partly or fully mediated, causal effects of the antenatal exposures.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that antenatal IDA and CMD both have adverse effects on child cognitive
development, which if unrecognized and unaddressed are likely to be lasting. It is crucial that both these risks are considered by policy makers, clinicians, and researchers seeking to improve child cognitive function in developing countries.