Should I be giving my child iron supplements? She is 7 months old and will not eat the iron fortified baby cereal, does not like the taste it would seem. Should I start giving her meat (pureed)? She is exclusively breastfed so no formula. Any advice would be great!
Not in the form of supplement - OD on iron is not fun and can be overlooked. " will not eat the iron fortified baby cereal" - smart girl, intelligent body. juice greens - even a spoonfull of it way better than the vitamin pill.
Good luck
V.
No, only if your Pediatrician says so.
Isn't she still on breastmilk or Formula?
Formula has iron in it.
Also, for the 1st year of life, a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition, is from breastmilk or Formula... NOT solids and NOT other liquids. This is also per our Pediatrician. And you still need to nurse or give Formula, on-demand, 24/7, day and night.
Our Pediatrician.... did NOT recommend 'meats' until AFTER 1 year old.
Too much protein for example, can overload the kidneys.
You NEED to go according to your Pediatrician. Do not feed things to baby, willy nilly. Their digestive system is STILL developing.
all the best,
Susan
NO just breast feed.
If she's breast-fed I wouldn't worry about it unless her pediatrician says otherwise.
Exclusively breastfed babies need NOTHING ELSE until at least one year. Keep breastfeeding and she will be getting all she needs!! You can continue to exclusively breastfeed your baby long past her first birthday if you choose and she will be fine.
**EDIT**
If you give your baby food she cannot digest, you will be doing more harm than good. Their little tummies and intestines are not fully developed at 7 months, so be careful what you feed her. Iron makes poop turn into just that: IRON! Constipation is no fun for us; imagine what it would be like for your little cherub!
At 7 months you can start introducing baby to foods, but a little at a time, not too much. I wouldn't worry so much about iron or this mineral or that vitamin, etc. but just start introducing foods, pureed peas, beans, other veggies, etc. Next month try some chicken. next month you can try some meats. Don't stress about it too much. See what your baby likes. You are still breastfeeding, so food is only something to be introduced. You're doing fine.
Hi C.
Yes, it's possible that your girl may need iron drop, but you definately should check with her doc first. The doc. office can do a simple finger prick test and find out in 3 minutes if she is iron defficiency anemic. If so, yes she will need the drop. The iron passed thru from your breast milk deplete dramatically after 6 months, and infants who are ex. breast fed and who do not eat other iron rich food are at higher risk of iron defficiency than others.
My daughter was in the same situation. At 9 months, she was tested to be very low in iron (could have started earlier, but she wasn't tested until the rountine check up at 9 months). She was partially breast fed and partially formula fed, and ate very very little anything else. I started giving her iron drop daily. She got better at 15 months. Iron drop has a bad taste, so no kids like it. The good part of it (if there is one) is that it's just one drop, and it takes less than 1 second and very little stuggle to give it to her, compared to making her eat a bowl of cereal:) Brush her teeth afterwards, because iron drop easily stains their teeth.
Iron is extremely important for their brain and body development at this age. So you doing great with your daughter by asking this question now. Go check with your pediatritian and run that test, so you will know. Breastfeeding is great (I breatfed both of mine till they were 2), but it's still important to know all the facts! Good luck!
You should never give your baby something like that without first consulting with your pediatrician. I'd give them a call or wait until your nine month well-baby exam.
In all likelihood, your baby doesn't need it, but they will test her blood for iron at her one year appt.
-M
Since she is old enough to eat baby food have you made her lentils or spinach? Both are high in iron. I also save the lentil water (that I cooked the lentils in) and add that to my babies veggies, etc.
Ask a doctor not a bunch of strangers good luck raised 4 and now 7 grandchilder A. no hills
Sometimes if you add baby food fruit to the baby cereal it will encourage her to eat it. Also, if she is breastfed and you are iron sufficient, she should be ok. I am anemic and have always needed supplement, but my daughter has been fine and is 2 now eating very healthy!
When my daughter was almost a yr one of the docs asked if I was giving her the infant vitamins. He said they recommend them especially for bf babies because they do not get all the vitamins mom has in her since some pass out of her naturally. Well, thanks for telling me before. I was told she should have had them for teh first year. but she is currently very healthy at 2 1/2 .
I wouldn't worry about iron specifically. She probably is fine and doesn't need anything. But ask your ped. He/She may recommend an infants multi-vitamin with iron. Good luck.
