Iron deficiency and cognitive development: New insights from piglets

University of Illinois researchers have developed a model that uses neonatal piglets for studying infant brain development and its effect on learning and memory. To determine if the model is nutrient-sensitive, they have done some research on the effects of iron-deficient diets.

“Iron deficiency is a major problem worldwide,” said Rodney Johnson, professor of animal sciences and director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences. “Infants who experience iron deficiency during the first 6 to 12 months of age can have irreversible developmental delays in cognition.”

He said that, even in the United States, iron deficiency is a significant problem. “Babies born to obese mothers are at risk for iron deficiency,” said Johnson. “Furthermore, the incidence of child obesity is increasing, and being overweight or obese is a risk factor for iron deficiency. Overweight toddlers are nearly three times more likely to suffer from iron deficiency than are those with a healthy weight.”

Johnson said that this work highlights a new translational model for studying micronutrient deficiencies. Traditional rodent models are less suited for examining these kinds of questions because they cannot be weaned early and placed on experimental diets. Pigs, however, are a precocial species, which means that their motor and sensory skills are quite well developed at birth. This facilitates early weaning and behavioral testing.

An article describing this research, “Early Life Iron Deficiency Impairs Spatial Cognition in Neonatal Piglets” by Jennifer L. Rytych, Monica R. P. Elmore, Michael D. Burton, Matthew S. Conrad, Sharon M. Donovan, Ryan N. Dilger, and Rodney W. Johnson has recently been published in The Journal of Nutrition.