OK here's a question about iron (BLWers?)

IrishCoffee7 · July 2011

I have a question. I realize that baby's iron stores run out around 6 months, hence the reccommendation to start fortified cereal and/or give them meat occasionally.

What happened "back in the day" when kids were just breast fed and then weaned naturally as they got used to "table food?" I mean there wasn't always fortified cereal, and it's not like moms had a food processor to offer meat purees. Plus, meat is not necessarily a huge part of the diet of a lot of cultures.

Am I missing something? Were kids just iron deficient from 6-12 months until we figured this out and started giving them fortified cereal in, what, the 1970s?

I guess I am confused. It seems like an evolutionary mistake otherwise. Why would babies evolve to need iron and have no obvious/natural sources of it other than man-made fortified cereals.

Can someone educate me?

CinemaGoddess · July 2011

I would assume that the iron would come from breastmilk and that most kids would have some sort of meat product (that includes fish) by the time they're 12 months. And there's also vegetables that have iron in them, like spinach.

J+MS · July 2011

I second CG's thoughts about iron in veggies. and I'm sure most infants had meat before 12 months, think about what our parents try give our kids now way before they should. LOL

monkeyqueen · July 2011

There are many sources of iron. Iron-fortified infant cereals are not even that necessary if baby is getting a wide variety of other foods. Eggs, meat, fish, some veggies, and whole grain foods all are great sources of iron. Basically, man-made fortified cereals are just a convenient source of iron.

eta: and yeah, iron deficiency was probably more of an issue, too. With research, comes knowledge. Basically, the recommendations are set to achieve optimal nutritional health.

kjolsen · July 2011

From what I understand, BM does not have as much iron as formula, but the iron it does contain is more easily absorbed by the baby. My son was/is BF and we did BLW and his iron level tested OK at his 9 month appointment. Some of the first foods we gave him were strips of steak that he sucked all the juices out of.

happyhoopla · July 2011

Well, we haven't done cereals and my DD's iron/hemaglobin levels at her 9 months appointment were perfect. Eggs, meats, and watermelon are great sources of iron and luckily some of my DD's favorites.

As far as your questions goes regarding evolutionary mistake, fetal/neonatal hemoglobin has a slightly different form, which enables it to trasport higher amounts of oxygen than adult hemoglobin. However, the different form also causes it to have a shorter lifespan. Since hemoglobin is made from iron, babies essentially have higher iron needs as they go through it faster.

BabaG8 · July 2011

I offer DS meat or eggs usually once a day. Sometimes he chows down and other times he barely eats it. As a backup we usually have Nutrios on hand as a snack. They look like Cheerios, but are made for babies (no added sugar/salt and iron fortified). From what I understand though, they are only available in Canada.

SnoopyLuv · July 2011

kjolsen:
From what I understand, BM does not have as much iron as formula, but the iron it does contain is more easily absorbed by the baby. My son was/is BF and we did BLW and his iron level tested OK at his 9 month appointment. Some of the first foods we gave him were strips of steak that he sucked all the juices out of.

Absolutely this. And your whole question is why I think the iron scare is a crock of shiit. I think that the food lobbyist prey on us to think that our babies need fortified foods, which I really think is absolutely not true. I make sure Josie eats plenty of meat, beans, dark leafy vegetables, etc. I just think it's ridiculous to think that BM contains no iron after 6 months, it's just absolutely not true.

OK here's a question about iron (BLWers?)

Re: OK here's a question about iron (BLWers?)

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