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Iron for healthy children
Iron for healthy children
Once the initial baby haze has lifted and you are settling into your role as a mother, it is essential that you keep an eye on both your own iron levels as well as those if your child.
Iron and your baby
As your baby grows its needs for iron change.1During the first 4-6 months of life your baby uses iron it has stored while in the womb to grow.2After that it will need to get iron from its diet.
Iron is also important for the growth of your baby’s brain, 3allowing them to learn and amaze you with new skills such as smiling and rolling over.
The early years
Although the changes might not be as obvious as during the first year, your child is still growing and learning at an impressive rate. This continued growth needs to be supported by a healthy diet and increasing amounts of iron.
Iron for teenagers
Before you know it your baby has gone from cute toddler to hormonal teenager. Their mood swings are in part a result of rapid change in their bodies. Growth spurts, school sports, starting periods and taking control of their diets (becoming vegetarian/dieting) all increase their risk of having low iron levels.
- 1. Baker RD, Greer FR.Diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children (0-3 years of age). Pediatrics. 2010; 126(5):1040-50. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2576.
- 2. Ziegler EE, Nelson SE, Jeter JM.Iron supplementation of breastfed infants. Nutr Rev. 2011; 69 Suppl 1:S71-7. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00438.x.
- 3. Radlowski EC, Johnson RW.Perinatal iron deficiency and neurocognitive development. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013; 7:1-11. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3779843&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract. Accessed September 30, 2013.
