早期缺铁与大脑认知发育的研究进展——从营养视角关注脑发育

Advances in the Study of Early Iron Deficiency and Cognitive Brain Development——Focusing on Brain Development from a Nutritional Perspective

缺铁和缺铁性贫血是全球发病率最高的单一营养缺乏性疾病,尤其是在孕妇与学龄前儿童群体中。生命早期是大脑快速发育的关键时期,大量研究发现,该时期缺铁会通过改变大脑结构、神经化学和递质系统等途径,影响儿童感觉运动、认知语言和社会情绪能力的发展。虽然婴儿期补充铁剂可以纠正缺铁状态,且大脑具有一定的可塑性和复原力进行适应性发育,但是仍无法弥补早期缺铁对大脑发育造成的长期损伤。新的研究进展表明,生命早期脑发育存在铁依赖的关键期,早期不同时期缺铁对大脑短期和长期发育会产生不同的影响。本文强调了早期预防缺铁的重要性,以及深入研究脑发育受损机制并开发相应的认知干预措施的迫切性。

Worldwide iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are the single most prevalent nutritional deficiency disorders,particularly in pregnant women and preschool age groups.Early life is a critical period of rapid brain development and numerous studies have found that iron deficiency during this period affects children’s sensory-motor,cognitive-verbal,and socio-emotional development through changes in brain structure,neurochemical and transmitter systems.Although iron supplementation during infancy can correct iron deficiency,and the brain has some plasticity and adaptation resiliency,these cannot compensate for the long-term damage to brain development caused by early iron deficiency.New research advances suggest that there are critical periods of dependence on iron for early brain development,and that iron deficiency at different times in early life can have different effects on short and long term brain development.This paper highlights the importance of early prevention of iron deficiency and the urgent need to investigate the mechanisms of impaired brain development in depth and develop appropriate cognitive interventions.