Top

Published in:

01-01-2012 | Original Paper

Ferritin and iron levels in children with autistic disorder

Authors: Sabri Hergüner, Fatih Mehmet Keleşoğlu, Cansaran Tanıdır, Mazlum Çöpür

Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

Iron has an important role on cognitive, behavioral, and motor development. High prevalence of iron deficiency has been reported in autism. The aim of this study was to investigate iron status in a group of children with autistic disorder. The sample was composed of 116 children between 3 and 16 years with a diagnosis of autistic disorder according to DSM-IV criteria. Serum ferritin, iron, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and red cell distribution width values were measured. We found that 24.1% of subjects had iron deficiency, and 15.5% had anemia. There was a significant positive correlation between age and ferritin and hematological measures. Results of this study confirmed that iron deficiency and anemia are common in children with autistic disorder. Conclusion: These findings suggest that ferritin levels should be measured in subjects with autism as a part of routine investigation.

American Psychiatric Association (APA) (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. American Psychiatric Association, Washington

Aydınok Y, Öztop Ş, Nişli G, Kavaklı K, Çetingül N (1998) Percentile norms and curves for hematological values in Turkish adolescents. Turkish J Haematol 15:169–173

Beard JL (2001) Iron biology in immune function, muscle metabolism and neuronal functioning. J Nut 131((2S-2)):568S–579S

Bilgiç A, Gürkan K, Türkoğlu S, Akça AF, Kılıç BG, Uslu R (2010) Iron deficiency in preschool children with autistic spectrum disorders. Res Autism Spectr Disord 4(4):639–644CrossRef

Cermak SA, Curtin C, Bandini LG (2010) Food selectivity and sensory sensitivity in children with autism spectrum disorders. J Am Diet Assoc 110(2):238–246PubMedCrossRef

Cortese S, Lecendreux M, Bernardina BD, Mouren MC, Sbarbati A, Konofal E (2008) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and restless legs syndrome: the iron hypothesis. Med Hypotheses 70(6):1128–1132PubMedCrossRef

Cortese S, Konofal E, Bernardina BD, Mouren MC, Lecendreux M (2009) Sleep disturbances and serum ferritin levels in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 18(7):393–399PubMedCrossRef

Dosman CF, Drmic IE, Brian JA, Senthilselvan A, Harford M, Smith R, Roberts SW (2006) Ferritin as an indicator of suspected iron deficiency in children with autism spectrum disorder: prevalence of low serum ferritin concentration. Dev Med Child Neurol 48(12):1008–1009PubMedCrossRef

Dosman CF, Brian JA, Drmic IE, Senthilselvan A, Harford MM, Smith RW, Sharieff W, Zlotkin SH, Moldofsky H, Roberts SW (2007) Children with autism: effect of iron supplementation on sleep and ferritin. Pediatr Neurol 36(3):152–158PubMedCrossRef

10.

Erikson KM, Jones BC, Hess EJ, Zhang Q, Beard JL (2001) Iron deficiency decreases dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in rat brain. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 69(3–4):409–418PubMedCrossRef

11.

Gorman DA, Zhu H, Anderson GM, Davies M, Peterson BS (2006) Ferritin levels and their association with regional brain volumes in Tourette's syndrome. Am J Psychiatry 163(7):1264–1272PubMedCrossRef

12.

Hallberg L, Hulthen L (2002) Perspectives on iron absorption. Blood Cells Mol Dis 29(3):562–573PubMedCrossRef

13.

Herndon AC, DiGuiseppi C, Johnson SL, Leiferman J, Reynolds A (2009) Does nutritional intake differ between children with autism spectrum disorders and children with typical development? J Autism Dev Disord 39(2):212–222PubMedCrossRef

14.

Johnson CF, Handen BL, Mayer-Cosa M, Sacco K (2008) Eating habits and dietary status in young children with autism. J Dev Phys Disabil 20:437–448CrossRef

15.

Keskin Y, Moschonis G, Dimitriou M, Sur H, Kocaoglu B, Hayran O, Manios Y (2005) Prevalence of iron deficiency among schoolchildren of different socio-economic status in urban Turkey. Eur J Clin Nutr 59(1):64–71PubMedCrossRef

16.

Kılınç M, Yüregir GT, Ekerbiçer H (2002) Anaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia in south-east Anatolia. Eur J Haematol 69(5–6):280–283PubMed

17.

Koç A, Baz T, Kesen M, Erel O (2006) The frequency of iron deficiency in three elementary schools of Sanliurfa city center and the reliability of the tests used to diagnose iron deficiency. Turkiye Klinikleri J Pediatr 15(3):85–91

18.

Konofal E, Lecendreux M, Arnulf I, Mouren MC (2004) Iron deficiency in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158(12):1113–1115PubMedCrossRef

19.

Kryger MH, Otake K, Foerster J (2002) Low body stores of iron and restless legs syndrome: a correctable cause of insomnia in adolescents and teenagers. Sleep Med 3(2):127–132PubMedCrossRef

20.

Latif A, Heinz P, Cook R (2002) Iron deficiency in autism and Asperger syndrome. Autism 6(1):103–114PubMedCrossRef

21.

McCann JC, Ames BN (2007) An overview of evidence for a causal relation between iron deficiency during development and deficits in cognitive or behavioral function. Am J Clin Nutr 85(4):931–945PubMed

22.

Steyaert JG, De la Marche W (2008) What's new in autism? Eur J Pediatr 167(10):1091–1101PubMedCrossRef

23.

Valicenti-McDermott M, McVicar K, Rapin I, Wershil BK, Cohen H, Shinnar S (2006) Frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autistic spectrum disorders and association with family history of autoimmune disease. J Dev Behav Pediatr 27:S128–S136PubMedCrossRef

24.

Xia W, Zhou Y, Sun C, Wang J, Wu L (2010) A preliminary study on nutritional status and intake in Chinese children with autism. Eur J Pediatr 169(10):1201–1206PubMedCrossRef

Title: Ferritin and iron levels in children with autistic disorder
Authors: Sabri Hergüner
Fatih Mehmet Keleşoğlu
Cansaran Tanıdır
Mazlum Çöpür
Publication date: 01-01-2012
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics / Issue 1/2012
Print ISSN: 0340-6199
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1076
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-011-1506-6

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Ferritin and iron levels in children with autistic disorder

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

Risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia in breastfed term neonates

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in adenylosuccinate lyase deficiency: a report of seven cases and a review of the literature

Reply to the correspondence letter by Se Jin Park et al. What dose of intravenous immunoglobulin should be administered in Kawasaki disease with suspected systemic capillary leak syndrome?

Quantitative buffy coat (QBC) test for rapid diagnosis of malaria

Progression from first symptom to diagnosis in childhood brain tumours

Discordant expression of a new WT1 gene mutation in a family with monozygotic twins presenting with congenital nephrotic syndrome