Low Iron, Vitamin B12 Level May Up Anxiety In Boys: Study

Iron deficiency and low blood levels of Vitamin B12 in small boys may be associated with behaviour problems, such as anxiety and aggression, when they get in middle school, according to a new study

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2018 ) :Iron deficiency and low blood levels of Vitamin B12 in small boys may be associated with behaviour problems, such as anxiety and aggression, when they get in middle school, according to a new study.

The findings appearing in the Journal of Nutrition showed that iron deficiency, anemia and low plasma vitamin B12 levels in boys at around age 8 were associated with 10 per cent higher mean scores on externalising behaviours such as aggression and breaking of rules.

Iron deficiency was related to an adjusted 12 per cent higher mean on internalizing problem scores like anxiety and depression. "Some parts of the brain develop throughout childhood," said Eduardo Villamor, Professor at the University of Michigan in the US.

He explained that "structural changes in the basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex of the brain may be involved in the development of behaviour problems as these brain regions respond to environmental conditions at different life stages".

For the study, , the team examined 3,200 children aged 5-12. "Interventions to curb these deficiencies must be informed by knowledge of their causes in each specific setting," Villamor said. Previous research on infants has shown a link between iron deficiency and lower positive affect, or a child's alertness, ability to self-sooth and self-regulation.

These problems may evolve through middle childhood and show up as behavioural concerns in adolescence and lower-self-rated mental health in adulthood.