Iron is a nutrient that’s essential to your child’s growth and development. Iron helps move oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and helps muscles store and use oxygen. If your child’s diet lacks iron, he or she might develop a condition called Iron Deficiency or Anemia
Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen.
Is my baby at risk?
Infants and children at highest risk of iron deficiency include:
- Babies who are born prematurely — more than three weeks before their due date — or have a low birth weight: Full-term infants are born with iron stores accumulated during the last months in utero. These stores can last four to six months. The iron stores of babies born prematurely may last only about two months.
- Babies who drink cow’s milk before age 1 – Cow’s milk is low in iron. It also interferes with the body’s absorption of iron, and it may replace some iron-rich foods in the diet. Milk can also irritate the lining of a baby’s intestine, causing bleeding. This slow loss of blood in the stool – along with low iron intake – can cause anemia.
- Breast-fed babies who aren’t given complementary foods containing iron after age 6 months
- Babies who drink formula that isn’t fortified with iron
- Children ages 1 to 5 who drink more than 24 ounces (710 milliliters) of cow’s milk, goat’s milk or soy milk a day. This is because calcium prevents iron absorption.
- Children who have certain health conditions, such as chronic infections or restricted diets
- Children ages 1 to 5 who have been exposed to lead
Can it be dangerous?
It can be.
A child who’s anemic could suffer permanent mental and physical problems. (While an iron deficiency can be corrected, the mental and physical impairment is not always reversible.)
Iron deficiency also makes kids more susceptible to Lead poisoning and infection.
Prevention
- Include lean red meant three or four times a week or offer meat alternatives such as; dried beans, lentils, chicken, lives, fish eggs and nuts.
- Include vitamin C in baby’s diet as it helps with the absorption os Iron. Foods rich in vitamin C include, oranges, avocadoes, berries, kiwi fruit, broccoli, capsicum (hoho), tomatoes, cabbage, lemons etc.
- Encourage solid foods at mealtimes and take care that toddlers are not ‘filling up’ on drinks between meals.
- Remember chronic diarrhea can deplete your child’s iron stores, while intestinal parasites such as worms can cause iron deficiency.
- Fussy eaters may risk due to poor intake or lack of variety in the foods they eat. Seek help from a dietician if baby is a fussy eater.
Iron supplement for just in case?
Iron supplements are helpful in many instances, but too much iron can be poisonous, so always consult your doctor before giving your baby iron supplements.
If you do have iron supplements in the house (or vitamins that contain iron), make sure you keep them locked up and well out of your young child’s reach. Iron is a leading cause of accidental poisoning.
Food sources of Iron
| Spinach | Tomato puree | Chicken | Dry cereals i.e |
| Snow peas | Beans | Soybeans | Chickpeas |
| Prunes | Lentils/ kamande | Nuts | Beans -etc |
| Beetroot | Oatmeal | Eggs | Iron fortified cereals |
| Sukuma | Beef | Sesame seeds | Raisins |
| Peas | Lamb | Fish | Molasses |
| Potatoes with skin | Chicken liver | Kidney | Peanut butter |
Additional fact