Infant iron status affects iron absorption in Peruvian breastfed infants at 2 and 5 mo of age

Area of Science:

• Nutritional science
• Pediatric nutrition
• Maternal-fetal health

Background:

• Maternal postpartum iron status and infant iron homeostasis following prenatal iron supplementation are not well understood.
• Limited data exists on the long-term effects of prenatal iron on infant iron status and absorption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate iron absorption and growth in exclusively breastfed infants.
• To assess the relationship between fetal iron exposure, maternal iron status, and infant iron status during early infancy.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal iron absorption (⁵⁸Fe) studies in 59 exclusively breastfed Peruvian infants at 2-3 and 5-6 months of age.
• Assessment of maternal and infant iron status, including serum ferritin and transferrin receptor levels.
• Comparison between infants born to mothers with high (≥ 5100 mg) versus low (≤ 1320 mg) supplemental prenatal iron intake.

Main Results:

• Infant iron absorption from breast milk increased from 7.1% at 2-3 months to 13.9% at 5-6 months.
• Maternal iron status at 2-3 months predicted infant iron deficiency at 5-6 months; 28.6% of infants had depleted iron stores by 5-6 months.
• Prenatal iron supplementation did not affect infant iron status or breast milk nutrient concentrations, but fetal iron exposure was linked to increased infant length at both time points.

Conclusions:

• Fetal iron exposure positively influenced early infant growth but did not significantly improve iron status or absorption.
• Exclusively breastfed infants demonstrated an ability to upregulate iron absorption in response to depleted iron stores.
• Further research is needed to optimize prenatal iron supplementation strategies for both maternal and infant iron status.