Iron Metabolism and Nutritional Status in Infancy

Iron is a vital micronutrient in early life, underpinning haemoglobin synthesis, neurodevelopment and cellular energy production. Newborns are born with an iron endowment accumulated in utero, yet the size of this reservoir varies widely between individuals and is influenced by maternal iron status, gestational age and birthweight. During the first six months, breast milk and formula provide iron of differing bioavailability, while the maturation of intestinal iron absorption and the regulatory hormone hepcidin determine how efficiently dietary iron meets escalating needs. From around six months, complementary foods rich in bioavailable iron are essential to prevent the progressive decline in iron stores that otherwise leads to iron deficiency and anaemia. Globally, iron deficiency in infancy remains highly prevalent, with implications for immune competence, growth trajectories and long-term cognitive outcomes. Contemporary research highlights a balance between the risks of deficiency and potential adverse effects of excessive iron exposure on gut microbiota and oxidative stress. Practical approaches must therefore integrate timely assessment of iron status with tailored feeding strategies, public-health fortification and supplementation policy, and education for caregivers on appropriate dietary diversification.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated sex-specific impacts of iron status on early neurodevelopment. In a large cross-sectional cohort, female infants exhibited higher serum ferritin concentrations than males and showed stronger positive associations between ferritin levels and developmental scores across motor, language and adaptive domains. Conversely, iron deficiency anaemia in girls was linked to a significantly increased risk of delay, whereas male infants appeared less susceptible to its neurodevelopmental consequences. These findings underscore the need to consider sex differences when defining optimal iron thresholds and tailoring early screening programmes.

Iron Metabolism and Nutritional Status in Infancy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in iron metabolism and nutritional status in infancy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ferritin: A protein that stores iron intracellularly and releases it in a controlled fashion; serum levels reflect total body iron stores.

Transferrin: The primary plasma protein that binds and transports iron to cells.

Haemoglobin: The iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in red blood cells.

Hepcidin: A liver-derived peptide hormone that regulates intestinal iron absorption and macrophage iron release.

Iron deficiency anaemia: A condition characterised by low haemoglobin due to insufficient iron to support normal erythropoiesis.

References

1. Early iron supplementation in exclusively breastfed Gambian infants: a randomized controlled trial. Bulletin of the World Health Organization (2024).
2. Iron and DHA in Infant Formula Purchased in the US Fails to Meet European Nutrition Requirements. Nutrients (2023).
3. Gender-specific association between serum ferritin and neurodevelopment in infants aged 6 to 12 months. Scientific Reports (2023).
4. Benefits and Risks of Early Life Iron Supplementation. Nutrients (2022).