Iron for the Suckling

Abstract

Aggett, P. J., Barclay, S. and Whitley, J. E. (Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, and Scottish Universities' Research and Reactor Centre, East Kilbride, Scotland). Iron for the suckling. Knowledge of the metabolism of iron by young infants is incomplete but combining practical studies based on detecting the onset of iron depletion with isotopic studies of iron economy may improve our understanding of iron metabolism in infants and our strategies for ensuring their iron supply. The iron accumulated by the fetus is enough to delay the risk of iron deficiency until four, and two months of age in term and preterm infants respectively. Breast fed term infants may not need extra iron until they are six months or older; but whereas low iron formulas are adequate for other infants until about four months of age, therafter infants need extra iron which can be provided effectively in iron fortified formulas. Breast fed low birth weight infants need iron supplements from two months of age but those fed specific low birth weight formulas which are iron fortified should not need extra iron.

Iron Therapy for Preterm Infants

“…The high rate of postnatal catch-up growth with its attendant increases in blood volume and Hgb mass requires additional iron. Unless augmented by external sources, the endogenous iron stores of preterm infants at birth meet their iron demands only until the doubling of the birth weight, i.e., approximately until 2–3 months of age [18]. Chronic gastrointestinal hemorrhage and clinical practices, such as uncompensated phlebotomy losses and inadequate iron supplementation further deplete iron stores and increase iron requirements.…”

Intervenções nutricionais na anemia ferropriva

“…O uso de leite de vaca e a introdução tardia de alimentos sólidos podem ser identificados como condutas alimentares inconvenientes à prevenção da ADF na infância (Aggett et al, 1989;Silva et al, 1993;Forsyth et al, 1993). Devido à alta biodisponibilidade do ferro no leite humano, o aleitamento materno oferece maior proteção contra o desenvolvimento da ADF nos primeiros seis meses de vida; a partir desta idade, recomenda-se a suplementação com ferro ou o uso de alimentos infantis fortificados com ferro (Siimes & Salmenperä, 1989;Pizarro et al, 1991;Walter et al, 1993a).…”

Milk formulae for the normal infant. III. Lipids and trace elements

“…Most healthy term infants have sufficient endogenous iron to meet their requirements up to 4 months of age (28). This iron abundance is partly connected to a steady accumulation of transplacentally transmitted storage iron during gestation (28,29).…”

“…Most healthy term infants have sufficient endogenous iron to meet their requirements up to 4 months of age (28). This iron abundance is partly connected to a steady accumulation of transplacentally transmitted storage iron during gestation (28,29). During the last trimester about 1.7-2.0 mg of iron is accumulated daily so that at birth the newborn term infant possesses 150-200 mg of this element (28).…”

“…This iron abundance is partly connected to a steady accumulation of transplacentally transmitted storage iron during gestation (28,29). During the last trimester about 1.7-2.0 mg of iron is accumulated daily so that at birth the newborn term infant possesses 150-200 mg of this element (28). These already abundant stores are increased further in the first 6-8 weeks of life by a 30% fall in haemoglobin concentration.…”