WEHI PhD Completion Seminar hosted by Professor Santa Pasricha and Dr Cavan Bennett

Mohammed Imrul Hasan
PhD Student – Pasricha Laboratory, Infection and Global Health division, WEHI

Effect of early life iron supplementation on growth, intelligence, behaviour, and academic performance of 6-year-old children

Davis Auditorium

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Including Q&A session            

Anaemia is a major global public health problem affecting approximately 269 million children under five years of age worldwide, with the highest burden in Africa and South-East Asia. In Bangladesh, anaemia remains highly prevalent among both infants and pregnant women and about half of these anaemias are due to iron deficiency. Iron is essential during this period, as it supports haemoglobin synthesis, oxygen transport, myelination, and monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism, including dopamine pathways involved in cognitive function.

Both observational studies and randomized controlled trials have reported concurrent neuro-behavioural effects of iron supplementation in children. However, evidence from randomized controlled trials that provided iron or multiple micronutrient powder (MNPs) supplementation during infancy and examined long-term developmental outcomes remains limited.

In my PhD research, I investigated the long-term effects of early-life iron and MNPs supplementation on intelligence, behaviour, academic performance, and growth when children reach six years of age. The study was conducted in Rupganj, a rural area in Bangladesh, where our research team previously implemented a large community-based iron and MNPs supplementation trial in 2020.

In this seminar, I will present how iron interventions at 8 months of age influence long-term outcomes, specifically focusing on Full-Scale IQ, fine motor skills, self-regulation, attention, academic performance,  and physical growth during the preschool and early school years.

All welcome!