Should Children Who Faint Take Iron?

Neurally mediated syncope (NMS; often called “simple faint”) is the most common form of syncope in children. To examine whether iron status is associated with NMS, investigators in Pittsburgh retrospectively reviewed medical records of 106 children (age, <19 years; mostly white) with probable syncope who were referred to a pediatric neurology clinic. All patients had documented transient loss of consciousness, were evaluated within 6 months of the syncopal episode, and did not have acute infection at the time of blood testing. Seventy-one patients with classic symptoms of vasovagal syncope or syncope with orthostatic intolerance measured by pulse or blood pressure were given a diagnosis of NMS. The remaining 35 patients had other causes of …