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When you see a baby growing at a normal weight, this certainly makes the mother happy. The baby's food intake must be maintained so that the baby's weight always increases. At the beginning of a baby's life, breast milk alone can fulfill his nutritional needs and make his body weight continue to increase within the normal range. However, when the baby is older - at the age of 6 months -, breast milk alone cannot meet the baby's nutritional needs, especially iron. So, if there is iron deficiency in babies, what are the effects? How important is it for the baby's iron needs?
Baby iron needs
Newborns actually still have iron stores that come from their mothers during the final trimester of pregnancy, which is around 250-300 mg or about 75 mg per kg of baby's body weight.
According to research, iron stores in the baby's body can meet the baby's iron needs at least until the baby is 6 months old. So you don't have to worry that your baby's iron needs in early life are not enough.
In addition, breast milk, which is the baby's main food, can also help meet the baby's iron needs. Although the iron content in breast milk is very little, the iron in breast milk can be absorbed by the baby more than other iron source foods and formula milk. As much as 50-70% of iron in breast milk can be absorbed by the baby's body.
However, along with the development and growth of the baby, the baby's nutritional needs also increase. When viewed in the 2013 Nutrition Adequacy Rate (RDA) table set by the Ministry of Health, the iron requirement for infants aged 7-11 months is 7 mg per day.
This need of course cannot be fulfilled by breast milk alone because the iron content in breast milk is very small. This is one of the reasons why babies aged 6 months and over should receive solid food.
The impact of iron deficiency on babies
If your baby is deficient in iron, the signs include:
- Baby's weight gain is slow
- Baby skin is pale
- The baby has no appetite
- Babies are often fussy
- Babies become less active
- Baby development is slow
Therefore, it is important for you to meet your baby's iron needs, especially if the baby is not exclusively breastfed. If your baby is under 6 months of age and is not exclusively breastfed, you can give him formula milk that is fortified with iron. Meanwhile, for babies over 6 months of age, you can give them foods high in iron in addition to breast milk and / or formula milk.
Some foods high in iron are:
- Beef
- Chicken's liver
- Beef liver
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Fish
- Egg
- Iron fortified cereals
In addition to foods high in iron, you can also provide foods high in vitamin C. Vitamin C can help the body absorb iron better. Some foods containing vitamin C are recommended are oranges, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries.
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