What is the use of iron supplementation for babies

Release time : 04/19/2025 09:30:02

Iron has always been an essential element for human beings, whether adults or children.

We all know that iron deficiency can be harmful, affecting a baby's health and development. Therefore, it is essential and necessary to supplement iron in infants.

We all know that babies need iron. Adults have about 4--5 grams of iron, 72% of which is in hemoglobin, 35% in myoglobin, and the rest as other compounds, with the rest being stored iron.

Therefore, iron is an essential element for the human body.

Iron is the main component of hemoglobin in blood. Iron deficiency can lead to low hemoglobin levels and anemia. Infants and young children who lack iron may also experience delays in development and intellectual impairments.

Moreover, during infancy, the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia is extremely high, making it the leading nutrient deficiency disease.

Generally, it is believed that adequate iron supplementation from the diet can prevent. However, the specific methods and types of iron to be supplemented are highly important.

At 6 months of age, the iron in breast milk is almost depleted and infants need to be supplemented with iron from their diet.

The balance of iron is a state of stability, meaning that the iron absorbed from diet can replace the iron lost by the body and meet the needs for growth.

Studies have shown that iron supplementation can prevent anemia of iron deficiency.

It can also guarantee the normal growth of the baby, and make its development, height, weight all in a normal state.

Therefore, iron is of decisive importance and must not be overlooked! We all know that babies need to supplement iron. So, as a new mom, do you understand why babies need iron? It is understood that from the time after birth, when babies are 6 months old, their body iron content will decrease. At this time, it is important to supplement iron for the baby promptly; otherwise, it may endanger the baby's health and normal development.

Therefore, the primary reasons for infants needing iron supplementation include: 1. Insufficient intake of iron. The levels of iron in breast milk and cow's milk are relatively low. If a baby is exclusively fed with these types of milk without timely adding high-iron complementary foods after six months of age, it can easily lead to iron-deficiency anemia.

2. Growth and Development Factors: The faster the growth and development of children, the greater the iron requirements, and the more likely they are to experience iron deficiency.

From birth to 1 year, the weight increases by 3 times of the initial weight, and prematurely born babies can increase up to 5-6 times.

If iron-rich foods are not consumed, infants, especially those born prematurely, are more susceptible to iron deficiency anemia.

3. An increase in iron consumption or loss due to long-term diarrhea or malabsorption can also lead to iron-deficiency anemia, caused by impaired iron absorption.

If your baby has one of the following reasons, it is essential to effectively supplement iron! What should your baby eat for iron supplementation? In fact, besides being an essential course, knowing what your baby can eat to better nourish their blood is also important.

This approach is indeed more effective in addressing the issue! When it comes to iron supplementation, we often think about things like liver and spinach. In fact, are these foods suitable for babies? The best choice for iron supplementation in babies is through dietary intake. By incorporating more iron-rich foods into their daily diet, it is easier for them to absorb iron compared to consuming iron supplements, which are generally safer.

Top pick: Liver, liver is the best choice for preventing iron deficiency anemia.

High iron content, good absorption rate, easy to eat and digest, and not easily allergic, is particularly suitable for babies.

Pig liver has the highest iron content, with 29.1 mg per 100 mg, sheep liver is 17.9 mg, cow liver is 8.8 mg, and chicken liver has the lowest iron content, with only 8.5 mg per 100 grams of chicken liver.

You can make them into liver paste, so that your baby can absorb them better and digest them more easily! Second place: Egg yellow Chicken egg yolk is the best iron supplement food. However, research has shown that although the iron content of chicken egg yolk is high, its absorption rate is low. However, eggs are a common food, are easy to eat and preserve, and have various nutritional values. High, from a comprehensive perspective, it still deserves to rank second.

You can make egg custard so that your baby can enjoy the delicious food and replenish iron! Third place: Blood tofu, a boiled animal blood clot, commonly known as blood tofu. Animal blood is rich in nutrients, has high iron content and high absorption rate. For example, 100 grams of pig blood contains 260 mg of iron, which is equivalent to 10 times the iron content of pig liver. It has always been a good product for replenishing blood.

However, it's important to note that blood bean rot contains high levels of iron, so when feeding it to babies, it should be consumed in moderation and not exceptionally.

4th: black fungus, 100 grams of black fungus contains 98 mg iron, which is about 5 times the amount of iron in pig liver and 30 times the amount in spinach.

However, the absorption rate of black fungus is relatively low, and black fungus has a laxative effect, which is not suitable for babies with weak intestines.

In addition, when supplementing iron in babies, it is also beneficial to include apples and oranges among the fruits, as their vitamins C can help facilitate the absorption of iron.

At the same time, pay attention to the diversity of food sources and balance diet, and regularly visit the child health clinic for examination.

What should you pay attention to when supplementing iron for babies? Iron is a nutrient element, and supplementing iron in babies is not blindly. It is important not to overdo it and ensure that the diet contains high-iron foods to meet the baby's iron needs, instead of trying to oversupplement! Firstly, pay attention to the correct way of eating iron-rich foods for babies.

Although eggs contain iron, the yolk's high phosphorus protein can inhibit iron absorption, so it should not be consumed in large quantities. It is recommended to eat one egg daily.

Children should consume more meat rather than broth, as the meat contains abundant trace elements such as iron and zinc. However, broth primarily consists of fats and amino acids. The belief among parents that "nutritious components are found in the broth" is incorrect.

Red meat contains rich heme iron, which is easier to absorb by the body and not influenced by other foods.

Additionally, recent scientific research indicates that the previous belief that spinach is rich in iron was due to a rounding error in calculations. Additionally, the iron found in spinach is non-heme iron, which is not easily absorbed by the human body.

In addition, oxalic acid in spinach will combine with iron, affecting the body's absorption of iron.

While supplementing with foods rich in iron, it is especially beneficial to consume a variety of fruits that are high in Vitamin C. This can significantly improve the absorption rate of iron and increase its effectiveness by several times.

Kiwis, fresh dates, and citrus fruits are all rich in Vitamin C.

How to choose the baby iron supplement? Some mothers are more concerned about the baby's iron supplement, hoping to choose the product from the selection of the baby.

At this point, parents need to be clear about how to select iron-fortified products.

I. The taste is good, without stimulating substances; iron differs from other elements, and iron supplements often have a distinct irony smell. The gastrointestinal tract of infants is very weak, and taking iron supplements with a strong irony smell often causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea among other gastrointestinal reactions. This not only fails to achieve the effect of iron supplementation but also harms the delicate body of the infant.

When it comes to baby iron supplementation, the most important thing is to choose a product that tastes good.

II. Examining Composition, the form of iron with high absorption varies greatly. Lactoferrozyme is the mainstream iron supplement on the market. The iron it contains is in the form of divalent iron. After being ingested by the human body, it can be directly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract without needing to be converted by stomach acid, and it does not cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. In terms of both effectiveness and safety, it is superior to other iron supplements.

So, you can opt for a supplement that contains these ingredients.

3. Look at the ingredients and don't overdo it. Because the iron content of some iron supplements is very high, some babies are not iron deficient, but only need to control the amount when they are supplemented as a nutrient. Some iron supplements are specially added with zinc-rich protein powder that can promote the absorption of iron supplements, which can prevent the baby from replenishing too much iron.

So, you can also choose this one according to your needs.

When selecting iron supplements for babies, one can make informed decisions based on the above considerations.

Furthermore, parents should also provide their iron-deficient babies with a variety of foods rich in iron, such as red meat, black chicken, eel, animal liver, and animal blood.

While iron supplements are being given to the baby, a moderate amount of fruit and vegetable is maintained. Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables can promote the absorption of iron.

Is it safe for babies to consume soy milk while iron-rich? Many people know that soy milk is very nutritious, and thus, mothers wonder whether it is appropriate for babies who are iron deficient. Is it advisable for babies to drink soy milk during their iron supplementation period? It is best to avoid drinking soy milk during this time.

Since soy milk can affect iron absorption, if soy milk is consumed, it is necessary to consume iron-rich foods 2 hours later.

Because soy milk is made from soybeans, the protein in them can hinder the absorption of iron by the human body.

Experts explain that soy protein in soy milk is rich in amino acids. However, when these amino acids enter the human body, they do not contribute to better health; instead, they react with iron elements in the intestines and form a special complex. This complex cannot be absorbed by the body, effectively "taking away" beneficial iron from it and becoming waste for the human body.

Not only that, the plant fibers in soybeans also affect human absorption of metal elements such as iron and zinc.

So, if you eat iron-fortified foods and drink soy milk at the same time, the absorption rate of iron will be greatly reduced, and the blood-reducing effect won't work.

Therefore, experts suggest that when consuming foods rich in iron, such as red meat, animal liver, and duck blood, or taking iron supplements, it is best not to drink soy milk for at least 2-3 hours.

*The medical content mentioned in this article is for reference only.

If you feel unwell, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately, and the medical diagnosis and treatment will be subject to offline diagnosis.