Why Is Iron Supplementation Important for Low Income Infants & Children?

 Photo Credit BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images Supplemental iron is important for all infants and young children, not just those from low-income families. But lower-income infants and children have a higher rate of iron-deficiency anemia than the children of middle and upper income families do. Low-iron diets and poor parental compliance when giving oral iron supplements contribute to increased iron deficiency in lower-income children. Because iron-deficiency anemia can cause lifelong health issues, blood tests to diagnose low iron stores are essential for all young children, including those from low-income families.

A pregnant woman who has adequate iron intake will supply her infant's iron needs for the first four months of life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Moreover, if a baby takes iron-fortified formula, his iron needs will be easily met. Substituting cow's milk, which contains little iron, for formula in the first year of life is the major dietary cause of iron deficiency, says family practice physician Dr. Louis Kazal, Jr., in the October 2002 issue of "American Family Physician." Breast-fed babies can develop low iron stores after 4 months because breast milk is low in iron, although the iron it does contain is well absorbed. Toddlers between 1 and 3 are most likely to develop iron deficiency because they no longer drink fortified formula and often turn into picky eaters. Poverty and limited food resources also increase the risk of iron deficiency in children age 6 months to 3 years, according to a March 2006 article in the "Maternal and Child Health Journal."

Iron drops or sprinkles provide an easy way to meet daily iron needs. Fortified cereals also provide infants or toddlers with the supplemental iron they need. Children between the ages of 7 and 12 months need 11 mg of iron daily, while toddlers between 1 and 3 need 7 mg. Preschoolers and children up to age 8 should get 10 mg per day, while children ages 9 to 13 need 8 mg, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Although iron-deficiency anemia is the most prevalent nutrition-related health problem, efforts to combat it with supplementation haven't been entirely successful, according to a Pan American Health Organization article published in the December 2008 "Journal of Nutrition." The article recommends early intervention and better methods of delivering iron to enhance supplementation. A Boston University School of Medicine study published in the May 2009 issue of the "Journal of Pediatrics" found that low-income parents did not fully comply when asked to give iron supplements in the form of drops or sprinkles to their 6-month-old infants, although adherence was higher with drops. Adherence rates ranged from 32 to 63 percent with drops and from 30 to 46 percent with sprinkles.

Iron-deficiency anemia causes more long-term health problems than once thought. In infancy and childhood, anemia causes lethargy, irritability and slowed mental and physical development childhood. Older children exhibit long-term decreases in mental functioning and behavior problems even after their deficiency has been completely corrected, Dr. Kazal warns.

Article reviewed by Jane Pine Last updated on: Feb 9, 2013