Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency can affect your baby’s development and lead to anemia. Read on to find out how much iron your baby needs and what are the best sources.

Your baby needs specific nutrients to support their development. One such nutrient is iron, which is essential for healthy blood. Although babies are born with natural stores of iron, these start to run out at around 6 months, so you’ll need to make sure your baby’s diet is rich in iron to avoid them developing anaemia. Read on to find out more about how you can ensure your baby gets enough iron.

Why your baby needs iron

Iron is essential for producing haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying part of red blood cells) and for brain development. A deficiency in iron can cause your baby to develop anaemia, which can lead to tiredness and lack of energy and may affect their learning of fundamental skills.

Providing iron through a weaning diet

At around 6 months of age, your baby’s natural store of iron runs out, so you must ensure they get enough iron from other foods when they start weaning. However, it’s not always easy for your baby to eat large amounts of iron-rich foods like red meat, chicken and fish at this stage. So to complement their weaning diet, if you are bottlefeeding you may like to consider moving your baby onto a follow-on milk.

If you would like more advice about getting iron into your baby’s diet, give our Careline team a call on 009647723342222 (Other Countries) between the hours of 9am and 6pm Saturday to Thursday.