Comments on: Iron Deficiency and the Breastfed Baby

By: Amy

Amy — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:57:24 +0000

Thank you for your post! I have an almost 7 month old EBF baby who is just not ready for solids. Our pediatrician has been pushing iron fortified cereal since his four month check up. I’m pretty confident my breast milk is sufficient nutrition (he’s almost 20 lbs of happy baby) but because of the dr’s constant doubt I needed to find some reassurance.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:28:35 +0000

I love your site, Laurie! It’s cute and informative too – I’m glad to see other folks are out there spreading the word about optimal nutrition for the little guys.

By: Laurie Meher

Laurie Meher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:27:40 +0000

Just stumbled upon your blog! Love it! Finally more articles about the myth of iron deficiency from breastmilk. I covered the same topic a while ago on my blog accompanying my homemade cereal instructions. I hope you can take the time to check it out!

By: Ola Loa

Ola Loa — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:35:55 +0000

Great read. Iron has its place, and it’s true that iron deficiency can cause a whole host of problems (I’m talking about mostly the older kids here: irritability, hyperactivity, and learning impairment), but people don’t take heed to the problems that too much iron can cause.

Women of childbearing age are lucky. Menstruation can help keep iron from “poisoning” the body and pregnancy usually uses up any iron “reserves.”

There is an excellent article by Dr. Richard Kunin which you may enjoy if you are interested in learning more about iron deficiency/over-exposure: http://www.drinkyourvitamins.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=187:iron-deficiency-more-than-tired-blood&catid=53:articles-on-nutrition&Itemid=121

By: Emma

Emma — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:40:03 +0000

Thanks for this post Jenny!

I was given the prescription for both kids and with my first i gave it to her a couple of times (she hated it, naturally, the stuff is nasty!) i figured nature (Allah) knew better than us and i couldn’t understand how breastmilk could be anything but perfect! So i was never good with giving it to her and the Drs gave me grief about it and i just told them i would give it to her and didn’t. With number 2 i didn’t even fill the prescription. I’m actually quite anti supplementing breastfed babies with stuff like this, i don’t only think it’s unnecessary without an obvious deficiency, i think it’s wrong.

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:53:04 +0000

My little girl’s pediatrician-at-the-time (it’s a clinic with resident rotation rather than a consistent attending physician) told me, WITHOUT checking hemoglobin, that because Thea was breastfed she should get iron supplements. The doc handed me a prescription for infant vitamin/mineral drops. I never filled it.

I mean, logically. Looking at this logically. How in the WORLD did we ever survive as a species if our babies weren’t getting enough iron???

Shocker of shockers, Thea was not anemic at a year old. I did give her iron-fortified cereal, I didn’t know any better back then, but she was also BFed for something like eight months before she ever touched solids, and was a healthy, happy, and energetic baby with the exception of a kidney-related health problem having nothing to do with iron whatsoever.

But they don’t check. They just don’t bother to check. They just *assume.*

By: karen c.

karen c. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:58:50 +0000

Hi Jenny, would you do a followup blog to this one on how to increase iron levels in toddlers and preschoolers, increase absorption, tricks on them eating those above? We eat NT but my girls (age 21 months and 4 yo) are still both suspect anemic.

By: Kelli

Kelli — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:21:01 +0000

My youngest who is 16 months was just diagnosed as iron deficient today and prescribed supplements. Thank you for this article. I’m torn about what to do. She doesn’t like a lot of meats and loves grains. Doesn’t like dairy. I’m questioning how good my milk is as well. I’ve had thyroid issues and dropped 100 pounds since she was born. I think I’m going to have to put more effort into our diets. Anyway, thanks for sharing this.

By: My Toddler Is Anemic | CHEESESLAVE

My Toddler Is Anemic | CHEESESLAVE — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:44 +0000

[...] more information on iron deficiency in babies, see Nourished Kitchen’s recent post, Iron Deficiency and the Breastfed Baby. Spread the word about real food! SHARE THIS [...]

By: Sustainable Eats

Sustainable Eats — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:49:33 +0000

This is a pet peeve of mine – pregnant and breastfeeding women are told not to eat many of the foods in your list, rather than told to find safe sources of grass fed versions yet the first thing they are told to do is take a supplement made from isolated nutrients that their body not only doesn’t absorb but reacts negatively to (because it’s not food.)

Of course we are iron deficient, we are malnourished. Is it any wonder infant mortality rates are up for the first time since records have been kept?

Thanks so much for another great article!

By: Daily Diner

Daily Diner — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:40:02 +0000

Really good point–are they really deficient? I had several friends with “iron deficient” babies. That was years ago, I wish I would have thought about it more, because you are so right.

For some reason (maybe because they your rediculously chubby babies and full of life) my kids were never once tested.

On another note, my oldest son had to have his cholesterol tested at 6! California State Law requires that all kids by the time they start first grade get a comprehensive physical. Sad state of affairs when we are testing 6 year olds for cholesterol levels.

By: Rebellious Pastor's Wife

Rebellious Pastor's Wife — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:57:05 +0000

I was a La Leche League Leader and lactation consultant, and when I was dealing with a mother whose baby was iron deficient one of my colleagues recommended besides the foods you mentioned above, cooking in cast iron. Frying apples and making applesauce that way, steaming veggies in a cast iron dust oven, etc. will allow even more iron to be absorbed into the food.

Also, don’t give calcium foods with iron foods, since calcium blocks absorption.

But you are right. The iron that is in breastmilk is much more readily absorbable than the iron in supplements. It may seem low to your doctor, looking at numbers, but the baby’s body uses nearly ALL of it, whereas only a small amount from iron supplements get absorbed, and can block the absorption of the iron in breastmilk.