In a recent study, U.S. researchers have discovered how important iron and folic acid are for the healthy development of the fetus.
They studied children in rural Nepal whose mothers were given iron and folic acid supplements during pregnancy and discovered the kids were smarter, more organized and had better fine motor skills than those whose mothers did not get them.
"Iron is essential for the development of the central nervous system," said Dr. Parul Christian, an expert in international health at Johns Hopkins University, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency affects 2 billion people and is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world. The organization estimates that 1 out of 2 pregnant women in developing countries is anemic, and that approximately 40 per cent of preschool kids are also anemic.
"We had the opportunity to follow the offspring of women who had participated in a randomized trial of iron and folic acid and other micronutrients to assess neurocognitive function and outcomes," Christian said in a telephone interview.
"What we showed is prenatal iron and folic acid supplementation had a significant impact on the offspring’s intellectual level and motor ability and ability during school age, which was a very exciting finding," she said.