Iron Supplements For Breast Fed Babies – Are They Necessary?
Many parents are led to to believe that routine iron supplementation is required for breastfed babies once they reach 6 months of age. Some studies, however, suggest that iron supplementation is unnecessary, unless signs of iron-deficiency anemia are present. Iron plays an important role in the development of a baby’s brain and a lack of iron can significantly affect a baby’s ability to learn in later life. Iron is also required by the body to make hemoglobin, which supplies oxygen — through the blood — to the cells of the body . In addition, iron gives red blood cells their color, which is why a lack of iron is often suspected when someone appears particularly pale. Babies are born with stores of iron, obtained from their mothers during pregnancy. For full term babies, these stores will usually last for at least the first 6 months of life. Some babies, however, are born with inadequate iron stores and have an increased risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia. These include • Prema
