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Maternal anemia and infant brain development research

Overview

Research conducted by King’s College London and the University of Cape Town has established a link between maternal anemia and structural changes in infant brain development. Following over 300 mothers and infants in Cape Town, researchers used brain scans to observe infants between three months and two years of age.

The study found that infants born to mothers with even mild anemia had brains that were, on average, 4% smaller than those born to mothers without the condition. These reductions were specifically noted in the putamen, caudate nucleus, and corpus callosum—regions critical for movement, learning, emotional regulation, and executive function.

Lead researcher Jessica Ringshaw noted that these developmental differences could lead to cognitive challenges as children begin school, with the gap between groups potentially widening during the first two years of life.

Entities

King’s College London · University of Cape Town · Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience · Jessica Ringshaw · Korean Children’s Environmental Health Study

Timeline

  1. 12 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Prenatal health studies link anemia and pollution to infant development

    New studies link maternal anemia to structural brain changes in infants and show that prenatal exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of babies being born small for their gestational age.

  2. 15 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Maternal anemia linked to smaller infant brain regions

    A study by King’s College London and the University of Cape Town shows infants of anemic mothers may have 4% smaller brains in regions vital for learning and emotional regulation.

Sources

beppegrillo.it · descopera.ro · microbiologiaitalia.it · stiripesurse.ro