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Iron deficiency in children: Prevention tips for parents
Iron deficiency in children can affect development and lead to anemia. Find out how much iron your child needs, the best sources of iron and more.
By Mayo Clinic staffIs your child getting enough iron in his or her diet? Find out what causes iron deficiency in children, how to recognize it and how to prevent it.
Why is iron important for children?
Iron is a nutrient that's essential to your child's growth and development. Iron helps move oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and helps muscles store and use oxygen. If your child's diet lacks iron, he or she may develop a condition called iron deficiency. Iron deficiency in children can occur at many levels, from depleted iron stores to anemia — a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues, providing energy and giving skin a healthy color. Untreated iron deficiency in children can cause physical and mental delays in areas such as walking and talking.
How much iron do children need?
Babies are born with iron stored in their bodies, but a steady amount of additional iron is needed to fuel a child's growth and development. Here's a guide to iron needs at certain ages:
| Age group | Recommended amount of iron a day |
|---|---|
| 7 to 12 months | 11 milligrams |
| 1 to 3 years | 7 milligrams |
| 4 to 8 years | 10 milligrams |
| 9 to 13 years | 8 milligrams |
| 14 to 18 years, girls | 15 milligrams |
| 14 to 18 years, boys | 11 milligrams |
What are the risk factors for iron deficiency in children?
Infants and children at highest risk of iron deficiency include:
- Babies who are born prematurely — more than three weeks before their due date — or have a low birth weight
- Babies who drink cow's milk before age 1
- Breast-fed babies who aren't given complementary foods containing iron after age 6 months
- Babies who drink formula that isn't fortified with iron
- Children ages 1 to 5 who drink more than 24 ounces (710 milliliters) of cow's milk, goat's milk or soy milk a day
- Children who have certain health conditions, such as chronic infections or restricted diets
Adolescent girls also are at higher risk of iron deficiency because their bodies lose iron during menstruation.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Mahoney DH. Iron deficiency in infants and young children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Screening for iron deficiency anemia — Including iron supplementation for children and pregnant women. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf06/ironsc/ironrs.htm. Accessed Jan. 18, 2011.
- O'Connor NR. Infant Formula. American Family Physician. 2009;79:565.
- Lozoff B, et al. Home intervention improves cognitive and social-emotional scores in iron-deficient anemic infants. Pediatrics. 2010;126:e884.
- Carter RC, et al. Iron deficiency anemia and cognitive function in infancy. Pediatrics. 2010;126:e427.
- Heird WC. The feeding of infants and children. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50044-X&isbn=978-1-4160-2450-7&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50044-X&uniqId=232451451-2#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50044-X. Accessed Jan. 18, 2011.
- Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50457-6&isbn=978-1-4160-2450-7&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50457-6&uniqId=232451451-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50457-6. Accessed Jan. 18, 2011.
- Baker RD, et al. Diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children (0-3 years of age). Pediatrics. 2010;126:1040.
- Anemia and your child. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chronic/Pages/Anemia-and-Your-Child.aspx. Accessed Jan. 18, 2011.
- Iron and iron deficiency. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- Iron-deficiency anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ida/ida_all.html. Accessed Jan. 21, 2011.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Iron. National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron/. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
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