Role of Calcium in Mental Development and Intelligence of School-Aged Children of District Hyderabad, Sindh

Calcium as a Marker for Mental Development in Children

Abstract

Background: Calcium ions are essential regulators of a variety of neuronal activities that take place in the nervous system. “These neuronal activities include the formation and maturation of neural circuits, as well as long-term memory. However, Calcium ions are also important in the early stages of neurogenesis. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact that calcium on the mental development of school-aged children. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: The study was conducted in different government schools in Qasimabad, Hyderabad Pakistan. Duration: October 2021 to March 2022. Methods: Informed consent was obtained before the enrolment of participants, 121 children were recruited. A structured questionnaire was formed for the assessment, and a blood sample of five milliliters was drawn for the laboratory's investigation of serum calcium. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0, and a P-value of less than 0.05 was set to be statistically significant. Results: In this study, the mean age of all participants was 11 ±2.296 years, serum calcium was 9.12 ± 4.21mg/dl, and the FSIQ score was 91 ± 11.3. In this study, serum calcium was related to the development of IQ. Conclusion: This study concluded that an increase in serum calcium levels may lead to an increase in FSIQ levels and vice versa. As a result, one may conclude that the mental development of children is contingent on the quantities of calcium in their blood.