How is iron supplemented for the baby?

Iron is a trace element that plays an important role in your baby's development and health. Today, aFamilyToday Health introduces you to the importance of iron as well as effective dietary sources of this substance and recommended amounts for your baby.

The importance of iron supplements for your baby

Iron is an important constituent of hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen in the blood and myoglobin, which stores oxygen in muscles. Therefore, if the baby's body lacks this substance, it will cause anemia, making your child always feel weak and tired.

Iron also plays an important role in your baby's brain development. As a result, anemia can cause long-term problems with cognitive development. Severe iron deficiency can also be a life threatening condition.

How much iron does your baby need per day?

According to each age, the baby's need for this mineral is different. You can refer to the following values:

Breastfed babies: Breast milk usually provides enough iron for babies until they are 4-6 months old. When you start to introduce solids , you can either offer iron fortified foods or drink these mineral fortified formulas. For babies up to 6 months old, you should get an amount of about 0.6 -1 mg / kg per day. In case the baby is underweight, parents should give their child 1-2 mg / kg per day.

7-12 months old: Babies need about 11 mg of iron per day. At this age, you can still feed your baby with iron-based weaning foods or choose this mineral-fortified formula .

Toddlers: Need about 7 mg of iron per day. Babies 4-8 years old need about 10 mg and babies 9-13 years need about 8 mg per day.

What's the difference between animal and plant sources of iron?

Animal iron is derived mainly from heme - a component of hemoglobin, which is easily absorbed and found in products such as meat, seafood or poultry. For non-heme proteins, it is harder for the body to absorb them, and often they are derived from plants, dark green leafy plants, legumes, nuts and dried fruits. Dry (egg yolks are also high in non-heme protein). To help your body absorb non-heme proteins well, you can add foods containing heme or foods rich in vitamin C such as orange juice, strawberries, tomatoes, ...

If your family is vegetarian, you should pay special attention to adding iron-rich foods along with foods high in vitamin C to increase your baby's ability to absorb this mineral.

Food sources of iron

Want to add iron for your baby, mothers should pay attention to the following food sources:

 ½ cup cereal, weaning: 12 mg;

½ cup oatmeal: 5 mg;

¼ cup of raw tofu: 2.22 mg;

¼ cup soybeans: 2 mg;

¼ cup boiled lentils: 2 mg;

½ grilled hamburgers, 95% lean meat: 1 mg.

Depending on the product and the manufacturer, the amount of iron in each dish may vary slightly. You can check this value on the product packaging for more reference. The amount of iron that your baby can absorb also depends on the baby's body and ability to absorb, you can rely on these numbers to estimate the amount of substance that your baby can absorb each day.

Is too much iron good for your baby?

Very rarely, you can provide enough iron for your baby's needs with normal daily diets. However, you should be aware that too much of these minerals can be dangerous for your baby's health. Therefore, scientists recommend 40 mg is the level that the baby can be supplemented as much as possible each day to not affect health. You should not give your baby a supplement with this substance but only through food. You should also consult your doctor if you are concerned about iron supplements for your baby.