When I read a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics stating that exclusively breastfed babies need to be supplemented with iron starting at 4 months, I have to wonder…
Are they saying that my perfect nutrition for my baby is no longer PERFECT?
Are they saying that what my body produces is suddenly SUB PAR?
This caused me to do a little research. What IS the deal with iron in breast milk?
Does my 4 month old really need those nasty-tasting drops?
According to my research, I found that not all exclusively breastfed babies need iron supplementation. In general, babies are born with enough iron in their system to last at least 6 months, of not until they have tripled their birth weight. (Riordan and Wambach, Breastfeeding and Human Lactation) According to the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, there is not a lot of iron in breast milk, yet there is not supposed to be, as it is more completely absorbed from breast milk than in supplements or formula. Also, breast milk contains a protein, called lactoferrin, which binds to the extra iron that the baby cannot use, keeping it from feeding harmful intestinal bacteria. Iron supplements, for a baby who is not iron-deficient, can often overwhelm the lactoferrin, causing an overgrowth of intestinal bacteria, resulting in diarrhea and possible microscopic bleeding. WHAT???
And, my biggest RED FLAG went off when I found a Letter to the Editor of Pediatrics, called Concerns With Early Universal Iron Supplementation of Breastfeeding Infants. In this article, the executive committee of the Breastfeeding Section of the AAP states that they have “major concerns about universal iron supplementation at 4 months in breastfeeding infants” and that the authors of the above policy “acknowledged that this report was submitted for review to the AAP Section on Breastfeeding, but they did not mention that we disagreed and provided our additional recommendations 2 years ago.”
HMMMMM! So, clearly my breast milk is much more perfect than the AAP was trying to make it sound and universal iron supplementation of exclusively breastfed babies over 4 months is NOT ideal.
So, how would you know if your baby actually needs iron supplements?
Which babies are more at risk for iron-deficiency anemia? (according to www.kellymom.com)
- Babies who were born prematurely, since babies get the majority of their iron stores from their mother during the last trimester of pregnancy.
- In addition, there is evidence that babies whose birth weights are less than 3000 grams – about 6.5 pounds – (whether term or premature) tend to have reduced iron stores at birth and appear to need additional iron earlier.
- Babies born to mothers with poorly controlled diabetes.
- Theoretically, babies born to mothers who were anemic during pregnancy could have lower iron stores, however medical studies do not show this to be a problem. Babies born to mothers who are anemic during pregnancy are no more likely to be iron deficient than those born to mothers who are not anemic during pregnancy.
- Babies who are fed cow’s milk (instead of breast milk or iron-fortified formula) during the first year of life.
If your baby falls into one of these categories, you have the right to ask for your baby’s hemoglobin to be tested for anemia, rather than automatic iron supplementation. And, if your baby does test positive for anemia, there are many Iron-only drops that you can give your little one. No need for that multivitamin because your breast milk has all of those vitamins already in it!
In addition, when your little one is over 6 months and ready to start solid foods, consider those with a healthy dose of iron, like the ones listed on one of my favorite baby food sites, Wholesome Baby Food. No need to try that boring white rice cereal, just because it is fortified with iron!