Low Iron Levels During Pregnancy Linked to Long-Term Changes in Offspring Brain: Study

Could iron deficiency during pregnancy affect a child's brain development even after iron levels return to normal? A new study suggests that inadequate iron intake during early pregnancy may cause lasting changes in the developing brain that cannot be fully corrected by restoring normal blood iron levels after birth.

Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the study conducted by researchers at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry investigated how prenatal iron deficiency affects brain development, mineral balance and neurological function in offspring.

Iron plays a crucial role in early brain development, particularly in the formation and organisation of cells. Previous epidemiological studies have associated maternal iron deficiency during pregnancy with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental difficulties, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities.

To investigate these effects, researchers fed mice either iron-sufficient or iron-deficient diets before conception and throughout pregnancy. Following birth, all animals received iron-sufficient diets to determine whether supplementation could reverse developmental abnormalities.

The findings revealed that although blood iron levels returned to normal after supplementation, iron distribution within the brain remained abnormal. Certain brain regions continued to show deficiencies, while others accumulated excessive iron.

Researchers also identified imbalances in other essential minerals, including calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc, which play important roles in neurological development.

These disturbances were accompanied by lasting changes in gene expression associated with brain development, neuronal communication and myelin formation.

Importantly, genes linked to neurodevelopmental conditions showed altered activity across different brain regions, including the cortex, hippocampus and thalamus.

The superior colliculus, a brain region involved in sensory processing and attention, demonstrated particularly extensive gene expression changes.

Researchers suggested that normal blood iron measurements may not accurately reflect persistent abnormalities within the developing brain.

However, the findings were based on animal experiments and require further investigation in humans.

REFERENCE: Cubello, J., et al. (2026). Postnatal iron supplementation fails to fully rescue brain metal and transcriptional defects caused by nutrition-based gestational iron deficiency. The Journal of Nutrition. DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101730.