Iron For Baby

Iron For Your Baby

Babies need iron to grow. A baby who does not get enough iron may have a poor appetite, develop slowly, get sick more often, and be tired, weak and cranky.

Most babies are born with enough iron to last until they are 4 - 6 months old. After that, they need to have iron added to their diet.

How to ensure your baby gets enough iron

Breast feed your baby for as long as possible. Breastfeeding is recommended for one year or longer because breast milk is the best nutrition you can give your baby.

Start your baby on iron fortified rice or cereal at around 6 months of age

After 6 months of age, you can add iron-fortified cereal to mashed bananas or other foods such as peaches or pears.

By 9 to 12 months, some babies may breastfeed less as they are eating more solid foods. Offer your baby foods that are rich in iron.

Excellent Sources of Iron:

Beef

Pork

Lamb

Chicken

Turkey

Fish

Good sources of iron:

iron-fortified infant cereal

egg yolk

prune juice (diluted with water)

beans, lentils, split peas

cooked diluted apricots or prunes

dark green vegetables such as broccoli and peas

whole grains

wheat germ

tofu

I always sprinkle wheat germ on my baby's yogurt - she doesn't even know that yogurt comes any other way! Another tip: Cook three hard-boiled eggs every Sunday and put them in the fridge. That is your baby's allotment for the week. If your baby is under one year old, just peel the hard-boiled egg and give her only the yolk (the yellow part). Babies should not have the white part of the egg until one year of age.

Offer your baby iron-rich foods with vitamin C rich foods at the same time. Foods rich in Vitamin C are: kiwi, cantaloupe, red pepper, broccoli, sweet potato, and papaya.

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