London: Babies born to mothers with anaemia have smaller brain volumes, particularly in regions involved in movement, learning and emotional regulation, according to a study that could help explain developmental difficulties later in childhood.
Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Cape Town followed more than 300 mothers and their babies in Cape Town, South Africa. The infants underwent repeated brain scans between the ages of three months and two years.
On average, babies born to mothers with anaemia had a total brain volume around 4 percent smaller than babies whose mothers did not have anaemia. The difference was observed even though all the mothers diagnosed with anaemia in the study had only a mild form of the condition.
Researchers identified differences in three brain regions: the putamen, caudate nucleus and corpus callosum. These areas are involved in several important functions, including processing speed, movement, emotional regulation and executive function.
Jessica Ringshaw, first author of the study and a researcher at King’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and the University of Cape Town, said the differences became more pronounced during the first two years of life.
For example, the corpus callosum was about 4 percent smaller at 12 months among babies born to anaemic mothers, with the difference increasing to about 6 percent by 24 months.
The findings are consistent with earlier research in South Africa that identified similar differences in brain volume among toddlers and school-age children. Researchers said the differences did not appear to disappear as children grew older.
Ringshaw said the findings could help explain previous studies showing that children born to mothers with anaemia performed less well on some developmental assessments. The researchers also said the mothers in the study were otherwise similar in factors such as household income and food security, strengthening the study’s findings.
More than one-third of pregnant women worldwide are affected by anaemia. The condition is commonly caused by iron deficiency, which reduces the number of healthy red blood cells available to carry oxygen around the body. Common symptoms include fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Anaemia rates are particularly high in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases can contribute to the condition.
Ringshaw said the findings reinforced the importance of screening women for anaemia and iron deficiency, particularly during pregnancy. Appropriate treatment can include oral iron supplements and, in some cases, intravenous iron, depending on individual circumstances.
The study also found higher rates of anaemia among women living with HIV, highlighting the need to address underlying infections alongside nutritional deficiencies, researchers said.
The World Health Organization has identified reducing anaemia as a public health priority, although progress in lowering global rates has stalled over the past two decades.
The research, published in Brain Communications, also examined whether newer portable MRI technology could be used to identify differences in developing brains. Researchers compared conventional high-field MRI scans with images produced by lower-field portable scanners.
The portable machines were sensitive enough to detect the same brain differences observed with conventional equipment, according to the researchers.
Researchers said the findings underline the importance of preventing and treating anaemia among women of reproductive age, while also highlighting the potential value of portable brain-imaging technology for monitoring children’s development and assessing future health interventions.
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