Why Is Iron Supplementation Important for Low Income Infants & Children?

Iron supplementation is important for low-income infants and children because of low rates of breast-feeding and inadequate intake of nutrient-dense food, which can cause iron deficiency anemia.

Diet

• Low-income families are less likely to have an iron-rich diet. In addition, low-income women are less likely to breast-feed and this reduces an infant's ability to store adequate amounts of iron. Infants born healthy and full term have an iron supply that can last four to six months and are able to easily absorb iron from human breast milk.

Types of Risk

• Iron deficiency anemia develops when your daily need of iron exceeds intake. This can occur because of inadequate dietary intake of iron. Iron deficiencies are prevalent in women of childbearing age, pregnant women, infants who are low birth weight or preterm, older infants and toddlers.

Recommendations

• No recommended dietary allowance, known as RDA, is established for infants younger than six months because of their ability to store iron. Infants who are not being breast-fed should be fed iron-fortified formula. RDAs for infants and children vary. The ideal resource for iron in the diet should come from animal sources such as meats, fish and poultry, but plant sources that are iron-enriched or iron-fortified will add some iron to the diet as well.