Why Do Babies Especially need More Iron?

It is very important for growing infants to get enough iron in their diet. Infants between one and two years of age who have iron deficiency anemia have been found to have lower scores on mental and motor functioning tests; their scores are also lower at five years of age. The late Frank Oski, who was a professor at John Hopkins School of Medicine and was one of the country’s leading pediatric hematologists, summarized the importance of preventing iron deficiency anemia: “Three studies…have now suggested that iron deficiency anemia occurring at an apparently crucial time in infancy results in irreparable cognitive damage. Attention must be directed to prevention of iron deficiency. Breastfeeding followed by the use of iron-fortified formulas until one year can achieve this desired goal.”