Cognitive Function and School Achievement in Adolescent Egyptian Girls with Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Iron deficiency (ID) with or without anemia has important consequences for human health and child development: anemic women and their infants are at greater risk of dying during the perinatal period; children’s mental and physical development is delayed or impaired by iron deficiency; and the physical work capacity and productivity of manual workers may be reduced [1]. There have been many efforts to fight iron deficiency and anemia over the past two decades but, despite these efforts, ID is still the most common nutritional disorder in the world and the leading cause of anemia [2]. In Egypt, nutritional anemia is the most common type of anemia. It is mostly caused by ID and less frequently due to folate or vitamin B12 deficiency [3]. Adolescents are considered a high risk group to develop ID and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) because of rapid growth and increased iron demands during puberty [4]. And this is exaggerated by inadequate intake, strenuous exercise, low socioeconomic status and parasitic infestations [5]. Cognitive Function and School Achievement in Adolescent Egyptian Girls with Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anaemia