Micronutrient deficiencies in schoolchildren can negatively affect their working memory, vasomotor coordination, and focus. This was discovered by researchers at King George's Medical University (KGMU) in a cross-sectional multi-center investigation.

In eleven Indian cities, urban schoolchildren and adolescents, aged 6 to 16, were studied to determine the relationship between micronutrient deficiency (MD) and levels of general intelligence and specific cognitive abilities such as attention, focus, and vasomotor coordination.

The study, which involved 2,428 participants from 60 Indian schools from April 2019 to February 2022, was released on February 2, 2023, in the medical journal "Plos One." 

Prof. Shally Awasthi, the project's administrator and director of the paediatrics department at KGMU, said: "We analysed eight micronutrients by obtaining blood samples, including four minerals-- calcium, iron, zinc, and selenium and four vitamins -- A, B12, D, and folate." Psychologists with the appropriate training evaluated cognitive function using the CPM/SPM, co-ding, digit span, and arithmetic tests.

"In July, we discovered that just 7% of participants had no micronutrient deficiency, 23.8 % had any one, and 69.2% had more than two. According to the study, iron, folate, vitamin A, and B12 are related to working memory, whereas calcium, folate, and vitamins A and B12 are linked to vasomotor coordination.

"Children with impairments have fewer of these talents. Boys were less lacking than girls.

"The study shows that 17.6% of participants met the WHO's definition of anaemia. We discovered a link between micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia. Compared to non-anemic youngsters, more anaemic children had more than two MDs" she added.

It was a thorough, multi-center study with a sizable sample. However, the study was only conducted in metropolitan areas.  The sample size was evenly distributed among all study sites due to logistical concerns.

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