Iron nutrition in the breast-fed infant

Breast-fed infants were compared with infants fed a prepared formula not fortified with iron during the first nine months of life. Despite efforts to provide equal iron intakes from cereal and other foods, the breast-fed infants ate less iron-containing foods than the formula-fed infants. The incidence of mild anemia and biochemical iron deficiency was the same in both groups. The breast-fed infants had a significantly lower total iron binding capacity. Breast-fed infants appear to utilize iron more efficiently than formula-fed infants.