Search

OBJECTIVE: To find the effect of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on intelligence quotient (IQ) in school going children of Peshawar, Pakistan. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study a total of 153 children (male and female) of age 7-11 years were included. Socio-demographic questionnaire was designed for the collection of data. Blood specimens were collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and gel tubes. Complete blood count (CBC) was analyzed using fully automatic hematology analyzer (Model Sysmex XP-100, serial no.B2444) in EDTA blood. Ferritin levels were analyzed using chemistry analyzer (Model: Cobas e-6000), by Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) in serum. Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was used for finding IQ of children. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-22. RESULTS: Out of 153 children 66 (43.1%) were females and 87 (56.9%) were males. The prevalence of IDA was 11.7%. The mean IQ of nuclear family (57.3±37.33) was significantly higher than joint family children (34.8±34.53). The mean IQ of male (41.7±35.0) is bit higher than female (39.0±38.62). In 153 children, 66 (43.1%) were normal, 33 (21.6%) were obese and 54 (35.3%) were underweight. IQ of below average children with the average ones shows significant difference with hemoglobin and hematocrit (HCT). IQ of iron deficient anemic children was significantly lower than the normal children. The mean IQ, hemoglobin and ferritin levels for children having IDA were 9.1±8.01 (percentile), 11.2±0.33 (g/dl), and 9.6±1.2 (ng/ml) respectively. CONCLUSION: Intelligence of school going children is significantly affected with IDA and they have low IQ values as compared to normal children.

OBJECTIVE: To find the effect of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on intelligence quotient (IQ) in school going children of Peshawar, Pakistan. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study a total of 153 children (male and female) of age 7-11 years were included. Socio-demographic questionnaire was designed for the collection of data. Blood specimens were collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and gel tubes. Complete blood count (CBC) was analyzed using fully automatic hematology analyzer (Model Sysmex XP-100, serial no.B2444) in EDTA blood. Ferritin levels were analyzed using chemistry analyzer (Model: Cobas e-6000), by Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) in serum. Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was used for finding IQ of children. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS-22. RESULTS: Out of 153 children 66 (43.1%) were females and 87 (56.9%) were males. The prevalence of IDA was 11.7%. The mean IQ of nuclear family (57.3±37.33) was significantly higher than joint family children (34.8±34.53). The mean IQ of male (41.7±35.0) is bit higher than female (39.0±38.62). In 153 children, 66 (43.1%) were normal, 33 (21.6%) were obese and 54 (35.3%) were underweight. IQ of below average children with the average ones shows significant difference with hemoglobin and hematocrit (HCT). IQ of iron deficient anemic children was significantly lower than the normal children. The mean IQ, hemoglobin and ferritin levels for children having IDA were 9.1±8.01 (percentile), 11.2±0.33 (g/dl), and 9.6±1.2 (ng/ml) respectively. CONCLUSION: Intelligence of school going children is significantly affected with IDA and they have low IQ values as compared to normal children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The impact of cesarean and vaginal delivery on cognitive development was analyzed in 5 year old children. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of 5 year old children born in the years 2013 and 2014 in Karvina (Northern Moravia) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia) were studied for their cognitive development related to vaginal (n = 117) and cesarean types of delivery (n = 51). The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used as psychological tests. Results: In the comparison of vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section, the children delivered by cesarean section scored lower and, therefore, achieved poorer performance in cognitive tests compared to those born by vaginal delivery, as shown in the RCPM (p < 0.001) and in the BG test (p < 0.001). When mothers’ education level was considered, the children whose mothers achieved a university degree scored higher in both the RCPM test (p < 0.001) and the BG test (p < 0.01) compared to the children of mothers with lower secondary education. When comparing mothers with a university degree to those with higher secondary education, there was a significant correlation between level of education and score achieved in the RCPM test (p < 0.001), but not in the BG test. Conclusions: According to our findings, the mode of delivery seems to have a significant influence on performance in psychological cognitive tests in 5 year old children in favor of those who were born by vaginal delivery. Since cesarean-born children scored notably below vaginally born children, it appears possible that cesarean delivery may have a convincingly adverse effect on children’s further cognitive development.

Objectives: To analyze the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air at the time of delivery and five years of age on cognitive development in five year old children. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of children born in the years 2013 and 2014 from Karvina (Northern Moravia, n = 70) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia, n = 99) were studied at the age of five years for their cognitive development related to the exposure to PAHs, determined in the ambient air as the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and OH–PAH (hydroxy-PAH) metabolites in urine of the newborns at the time of delivery. As psychological tests, the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used. Results: Concentrations of B[a]P in the third trimester of mother’s pregnancies were 6.1 ± 4.53 ng/m3 in Karvina, and 1.19 ± 1.28 ng/m3 (p < 0.001) in Ceske Budejovice. Neither the outcome of the RCPM test nor the BG test differed between children in Karvina vs. Ceske Budejovice, or boys vs. girls. Cognitive development in five year old children was affected by the higher exposure to PM2.5 during the third trimester in girls in Karvina. Conclusions: We did not observe any significant effect of prenatal PAH exposure on psychological cognitive tests in five year old children.

Sleep spindles act as a powerful marker of individual differences in cognitive ability. Sleep spindle parameters correlate with both age-related changes in cognitive abilities and with the age-independent concept of IQ. While some studies have specifically demonstrated the relationship between sleep spindles and intelligence in young children, our previous work in older subjects revealed sex differences in the sleep spindle correlates of IQ, which was never investigated in small children before. We investigated the relationship between age. Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) scores and sleep spindles in 28 young children (age 4-8 years, 15 girls). We specifically investigated sex differences in the psychometric correlates of sleep spindles. We also aimed to separate the correlates of sleep spindles that are because of age-related maturation from other effects that reflect an age-independent relationship between sleep spindles and general intelligence. Our results revealed a modest positive correlation between fast spindle amplitude and age. Raven CPM scores positively correlated with both slow and fast spindle amplitude, but this effect remained a tendency in males and vanished after correcting for the effects of age. Age-corrected correlations between Raven CPM scores and both slow and fast spindle amplitude were only significant in females. Overall, our results show that in male children sleep spindles are a maturational marker, but in female children they indicate trait-like intelligence, in line with previous studies in adolescent and adult subjects. Thalamocortical white matter connectivity may be the underlying mechanism behind both higher spindle amplitude and higher intelligence in female, but not male subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient air at the time of delivery and five years of age on cognitive development in five year old children. Materials and Methods: Two cohorts of children born in the years 2013 and 2014 from Karvina (Northern Moravia, n = 70) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia, n = 99) were studied at the age of five years for their cognitive development related to the exposure to PAHs, determined in the ambient air as the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and OH–PAH (hydroxy-PAH) metabolites in urine of the newborns at the time of delivery. As psychological tests, the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used. Results: Concentrations of B[a]P in the third trimester of mother's pregnancies were 6.1 ± 4.53 ng/m3 in Karvina, and 1.19 ± 1.28 ng/m3 (p < 0.001) in Ceske Budejovice. Neither the outcome of the RCPM test nor the BG test differed between children in Karvina vs. Ceske Budejovice, or boys vs. girls. Cognitive development in five year old children was affected by the higher exposure to PM2.5 during the third trimester in girls in Karvina. Conclusions: We did not observe any significant effect of prenatal PAH exposure on psychological cognitive tests in five year old children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The impact of cesarean and vaginal delivery on cognitive development was analyzed in 5 year old children. Materials and Methods : Two cohorts of 5 year old children born in the years 2013 and 2014 in Karvina (Northern Moravia) and Ceske Budejovice (Southern Bohemia) were studied for their cognitive development related to vaginal ( n = 117) and cesarean types of delivery ( n = 51). The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BG test) and the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM test) were used as psychological tests. Results : In the comparison of vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section, the children delivered by cesarean section scored lower and, therefore, achieved poorer performance in cognitive tests compared to those born by vaginal delivery, as shown in the RCPM ( p < 0.001) and in the BG test ( p < 0.001). When mothers' education level was considered, the children whose mothers achieved a university degree scored higher in both the RCPM test ( p < 0.001) and the BG test ( p < 0.01) compared to the children of mothers with lower secondary education. When comparing mothers with a university degree to those with higher secondary education, there was a significant correlation between level of education and score achieved in the RCPM test ( p < 0.001), but not in the BG test. Conclusions : According to our findings, the mode of delivery seems to have a significant influence on performance in psychological cognitive tests in 5 year old children in favor of those who were born by vaginal delivery. Since cesarean-born children scored notably below vaginally born children, it appears possible that cesarean delivery may have a convincingly adverse effect on children's further cognitive development.