Does All Baby Formula Have Iron

Using a baby formula with low iron can cause problems for your baby.

Does all baby formula have iron.

What about enhanced infant formula. If an infant is receiving only iron fortified infant formula during the time before complementary foods are given then additional iron supplementation is not necessary. At about 6 months of age an infant s iron needs can be met through the introduction of iron rich foods iron fortified cereals or iron supplement drops. Although only 4 percent of the iron contained in formula is typically absorbed by the baby s intestinal tract iron fortified formula contains enough of the nutrient to meet the baby s needs.

If you re not breast feeding using iron fortified formula is the easiest way to provide this essential nutrient. Then it depends on whether she s formula fed or breastfed and whether she s eating solid food. If you are formula feeding the american academy of pediatrics recommends starting with a standard cow s milk based formula. If your baby has milk tolerance issues she may benefit from a formula that has decreased lactose and partially broken down proteins or extensively broken down proteins.

My son was born with a very rare disease where his red blood cells die before they mature and new are formed so he needs blood. Of course breast milk is best and breast milk contains the most absorbable iron of all formulas but if you can t or don t want to breastfeed your baby needs an iron fortified formula. In general though healthy full term infants get enough iron from their mother in the last trimester of. It is found as hemoglobin and tissue protein.

It s important for babies to get enough iron because a deficiency can cause serious delays in growth and development and have long term effects. So do most formulas. Infant formulas have been classified as low iron or iron fortified based on whether they contain less or more than 6 7 mg l of iron. The need for iron infants need iron because it is necessary for proper growth and nutrition.

Are there any baby formulas that do not have iron in them. Your baby needs iron to grow and develop especially during infancy. The american academy of pediatrics recommends that all babies use iron fortified formulas if not drinking breast milk. Why is baby formula fortified with iron.

When your baby is born they typically have enough iron in their system to last about the first four to six months of life. Although babies have sufficient iron stores for the first 6 months of life these stores gradually dwindle making iron fortified formula necessary. Nevertheless traditional low iron formula contains the amount of iron inherent to the cow milk plus a small amount added for stabilization during formulation.