why iron is important for your child’s health
Iron is a mineral that is very important for children’s health + development. It helps hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells) to carry oxygen to muscles + cells throughout the body, giving them the energy they need to work.
Iron deficiency can affect growth and may have effects on learning, behavior, and development. The AAP recommends universal screening at 9-12 months of age for healthy, term infants. It also recommends a second screening 6-12 months later in higher-risk populations. Preterm or low birth weight babies should be screened at 4-6 months and again at 9-12 months (most of babies’ iron is accrued in the last trimester, so babies born early may be more prone to iron deficiency). Screening means that your care team may ask you questions about your child’s nutrition and also about your access to food (food insecurity) and/or do bloodwork.
what to know
Kids need different amounts of iron depending on their age.
Birth through 6 months:
Term babies who are breastfeeding tend to get enough iron from their mothers at this age. Once they introduce complementary solid foods, this supplements additional needs after that time. If they aren’t eating many complementary foods yet or not enough to meet these needs, iron supplementation is recommended. Babies doing mixed feeds (more than half of feeds through breastmilk) should also supplement with iron until enough complementary foods are introduced. Term babies receiving standard iron-fortified formula (10-12 mg/L) receive enough iron through that source.
Preterm breastfed babies: need an iron supplement of 2mg/kg/day by 1 month of age and should continue on that until weaned to iron-fortified formula or until starting enough complementary solid foods to meet their needs.
Preterm formula-fed babies: require iron intake of 2mg/kg/day until 12 months - this is the amount of iron in most standard iron-fortified formulas, so they may not need additional supplementation.
7-12 months old: babies need 11mg of iron a day.
1-3 years old: toddlers need 7 mg of iron a day.
4-8 years: kids need 10mg of iron a day.
what to do
You can start with nutrition. Foods rich in iron include:
beef
poultry
pork
seafood
tofu
dried beans and peas
dried fruits
leafy, dark green vegetables
iron-fortified cereals
tips
check that your kids aren’t getting more than 16-24 oz of milk a day - this can affect their iron absorption.
serve iron-rich foods with foods that have Vitamin C (tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, etc.) — Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron more effectively.
iron from animal sources is more easily absorbed by the body than iron from plant sources, but it is very possible to meet your child’s needs through a plant-based diet.
We are always working on iron-rich foods in our family, so I’m happy to share some more food ideas, recipes, anything that helps if you need!
what to expect
if your child has iron-deficiency anemia
Please know that this is very common, and your child will be just fine! Depending on their levels, your care team may recommend enhancing their nutrition with more iron-rich foods and rechecking or starting an iron supplement. Here are some things to know:
Iron supplements:
don’t taste great (for the most part)! Some kids do just fine with them, and others spit them out or refuse to take them — and I do understand this!
you can mix them into juice or water (not milk or dairy, which interfere with iron absorption).
are best absorbed when paired with Vitamin C-rich foods
These are some of my recommended iron supplements. If taste is an issue, NovaFerrum — though more expensive) — is made with monkfruit and tastes much better. I’ve also included a powder, which is incredibly helpful in case your child has taste or other medical or sensory sensitivities preventing them from taking the liquid forms. You + yours also makes a powder that you can mix into liquids — it’s a nice option to review with your care team!
Rechecking labs: We generally don’t recheck labs for mild anemia but do recommend rechecking in 2-4 weeks for moderate to severe anemia (depending on your child’s number) to ensure that they are responding to the iron.
