Most of us already knew to take folic acid when we were pregnant, but new research says that taking folic acid AND iron before and during pregnancy will make your kids smarter.
In the study, kids whose moms took folic acid and iron showed:
• higher reasoning skills
• stronger cognitive ability
• better motor skills
• enhanced inhibitory control (I’m guessing this means a lower chance of ADHD)
The theory is that iron deficiency during pregnancy can alter neurotransmitters in the baby’s brain, which ofen impacs how fast they can process information.
This is an important study, as perhaps 30% of American women are anemic by the end of their pregnancy.In developing countries, that number is closer to 50%.
One of the researchers said it’s even more important to take iron at the END of pregnancy (as opposed to folic acid, which is most important before and during the early months).
Here’s the study:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/12/22/moms-to-be-iron-folic-acid-smarter-babies/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec2_lnk1%7C32897
Tags: brain, cognition, development, folic acid, iron, learn, nutrition, pregnancy, pregnant, smart, women
