Iron for babies

[weeklyplanner]

So my pedi said to feed iron fortified cereal. But, then I read the box and it says that in 4 tablespoons of brown rice cereal there is 45% of his daily value of iron. We just do 1 tablespoon and combine it with either BM or a fruit/ veggie purée. So, he's not actually get that much iron from
the cereal. But, his stomach can't be that large that he'd eat 4 tb of cereal and still nurse the appropriate amount. Am I missing something?

[redhorizon343]

I would think that your breast milk or formula already has some amount of iron and that the cereal would be supplemental. Unless I'm missing something too.

[mrsnorris]

Jan 27, 2015 19:52:55 GMT -5 redhorizon343 said:

I would think that your breast milk or formula already has some amount of iron and that the cereal would be supplemental. Unless I'm missing something too.

That would be my assumption as well. Maybe the dr just wants the little bit extra the cereal will provide. As he grows he'll eat more of it, of course, but 4T seems like a LOT right now!

[cdseno]

FFTC: I never gave J any of the supplements the doctor suggested and he was fine when they tested his blood at a year so I don't give any to M either.

[annapunkalunka]

My pedi said that it takes 4-6 months to deplete the iron stores that babies are born with, so they recommend starting an iron fortified cereal at that point. I told him I wasn't a fan of using cereal... He then said that the iron the baby gets through breastmilk is nearly 100% absorbed... Soooo one would think they get all they really need though nursing... assuming momma has good iron supply!

[puffandstuff]

Jan 27, 2015 20:23:23 GMT -5 cdseno said:

FFTC: I never gave J any of the supplements the doctor suggested and he was fine when they tested his blood at a year so I don't give any to M either.

This! I'm not worrying about. DD1 didn't have much cereal and she was fine.

[cdseno]

I breastfed J until he was 22 months and Max is currently breastfed. The pedi told me that vitamin d doesn't transfer either but I think those drops are so nasty. J hated when I tried to give them to him and he takes medicine like a champ.

[shevacc]

I do vitamin D for me bc we live at the north pole (Seattle). I really should start doing it for DS but haven't gotten into the habit. I'm not concerned about iron -- infants' stores are designed to last 6 months and we'll introduce meat fairly early once we start solids.

[ayannapc]

Jan 27, 2015 20:23:23 GMT -5 cdseno said:

FFTC: I never gave J any of the supplements the doctor suggested and he was fine when they tested his blood at a year so I don't give any to M either.

This!

But I get terrified every now and then because I don't do vit D. I take my prenatals still and we go into the sun on sunny days.

[puffandstuff]

I do give Vit D drops (Baby Ddrops) because the last time I had my Vit D checked I was deficient.

[bobloblaw]

We did Vit D drops and have started a multi vitamin with iron as kiddo is not always eating the entire 4 TBSP of cereal.

I know that as a BF mom, I'm getting enough D and Iron but pedi explained that over time the transfer through BM is not nearly as good as it was and mixed with the baby's loss of iron storage, it's necessary to do something to supplement for both, at least for the time being.