Study: Ritalin may help iron-deficient children focus

By Staff Writer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports than iron deficiency affects more than 2 billion children in the world. Kids who are deprived of iron early in life - during the last trimester of pregnancy or up to six months after birth - may exhibit attention problems, attachment issues and motor functioning setbacks during adolescence.

Although ritalin is commonly used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children, a new study reveals that low doses of the medicine are effective in treating the condition when it stems from early-life iron deficiency. However, higher doses can be detrimental.

A team of neuroscientists from Penn State tested ritalin's effects on rats that were deprived of iron four days after their birth. When the animals reached adolescence, they were tested on their abilities to remember, respond, sustain attention and then shift attention. The researchers found that rats that were administered low doses of ritalin performed better than those that were not given the drug.

Higher doses of ritalin proved to hurt their performance rather than help, making them hyperactive. The study, which appears in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, is the first to examine the relationship between ritalin and iron deficiency.

Adolescents who have a learning disorder, such as ADHD, may benefit from the structure and discipline of boarding schools.