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Iron supplementation of breastfed infants from an early age

Ekhard E Ziegler1, Steven E Nelson, Janice M Jeter

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. ekhard-ziegler@uiowa.edu

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|December 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Early iron supplementation in breastfed infants is feasible and temporarily improves iron status but does not affect hematologic status or growth. Most infants tolerate iron supplements well.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Infant Health

Background:

  • Iron deficiency is uncommon but observed in breastfed infants in industrialized nations.
  • Early iron supplementation may prevent iron deficiency in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of early iron supplementation on iron status in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • To evaluate potential adverse effects, including tolerance and growth, of early iron supplementation.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, placebo-controlled study involving exclusively breastfed infants from 1 to 5.5 months of age.
  • Infants received either iron (7 mg/d) or placebo, with follow-up to 18 months.
  • Iron status was assessed via ferritin, transferrin receptor, hemoglobin, and red cell indexes.

Main Results:

  • Iron supplementation led to a modest, transient increase in iron status at 4 and 5.5 months.
  • No significant effect on infant growth or hematologic status was observed.
  • Iron supplements were well-tolerated, with a low prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (3%) in unsupplemented infants.

Conclusions:

  • Early iron supplementation in breastfed infants is feasible and offers transient benefits to iron status.
  • Iron supplementation is generally well-tolerated and does not negatively impact infant growth or hematologic parameters.
  • The study highlights a low incidence of iron deficiency anemia in unsupplemented breastfed infants within the first six months.
Abstract

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