In a UWA study of 400 students, they found that 1 in 4 reported symptoms compatible with ADHD were significantly associated with a history of iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency causes impaired childhood neurocognitive development and is associated with reduced mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders and ADHD, with recent years seeing a doubling of children referred for assessment to a health care professional.
Childhood mental health has become a major health concern in the WA paediatric population, with significant pressure on children, families and the health care system.
The IRON Child study aims to develop mechanisms to prevent and treat issues caused by iron deficiency before they become clinically significant, as well as translate these findings to other communities to improve childhood wellness.
By treating developmental issues caused by iron deficiency early, the aim is that this will be a relatively easy and cost effective solution for children and families.
Methods to develop these mechanisms and treat iron definency include:
- Utilising ORIGINS data to develop an AI platform to understand the prevalence and major contributing factors to iron deficiency in children one to five years old.
- Assessing the associations of iron deficiency within child mental health, behaviour, and neurodevelopmental outcomes including ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Behaviour, and childhood anxiety.
- Undertaking community and patient focus groups to understand the barriers and enablers to detect and manage childhood iron deficiency, as well as review the supplementation in WA metropolitan and rural communities.
- Developing patient and community-focused implementation strategies to reduce the socio-economical pressures around iron deficiency and improve child mental health.
IRON Child will shape appropriate WA guidelines and provide data for national and international review (WHO 2025 Anaemia Policy Brief).
From these actions, the study helps advance the understanding of iron deficiency prevanance in one to five year old children, including the casual factors, associated childhood mental and physical conditions, and optimal treatment methods.