Assessment of Serum Levels of Iron and Zinc in Children with ADHD Compared to Healthy Controls: A Case-Control Study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in both developed and developing countries. Deficiency of vital elements such as iron and zinc is thought to interrupt the function of dopaminergic pathways.

This study aimed to assess the serum levels of iron and zinc among children with ADHD who referred to a psychiatric clinic in Mashhad, compared to healthy controls.

This case-control study was conducted on 51 subjects (36 ADHD cases and 15 healthy controls) aged 6 - 12 years. The serum levels of ferritin and zinc, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and hemoglobin were assessed and compared between the groups. P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

The mean age was 7.8 ± 2.12 and 8.4 ± 3.11 years in ADHD and control children, respectively. There were significant differences between the groups regarding mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (P = 0.003), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P = 0.002), and zinc level (P = 0.015). However, no significant difference was observed in hemoglobin, iron, TIBC, and ferritin between the two groups (P > 0.05).

The levels of serum iron and ferritin did not differ significantly between children with and without ADHD. Surprisingly, we found the serum zinc level to be higher in ADHD children than in healthy controls. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to draw reliable conclusions.