My son has iron deficiency anemia (age 14 months), his doctor could not recommended any dietary improvements for more iron without sacrificing anything else so I was prescribed an iron supplement for him.So far from what I can find the recommended iron intake for his age is 7 - 10 mg per day. Then why does the supplement at recommended dosage have 85 mg per day?Yes I will be asking his doctor when I see him next.
Really? With there being so much damn iron added to Cereal these days I can't see how any child could be iron deficient. There should be a warning label on Cereals about how much iron they have. Note: when he gets older make sure he stops the iron suppliments. Iron, while needed for normal blood cell function, is horrible for you in high amounts. Many DRs who don't keep up on medicine don't know better and perscribe a boat load of iron. It causes oxidative stress to cells : the main cause of ageing.
the doses of iron for iron-deficient children are weight-dependent and they also depend on the severity of the condition. the official dose of iron for children in your son's age is 2-4 mg/kg/day in 1 or 2 divided doses. oral iron supplements don't contain pure iron because they are actually iron salts so only a percentage of those pills is the pure iron that will be absorbed and used in the body for making RBCs. The recommended daily allowances (8-10mg/day) are given to prevent iron deficiency and no to treat.
The RDA for iron in children 1-3 years of age is 7mg/day. Has the doctor looked into why your son is anemic? I would talk to your son's doctor to pursue why his iron is so low (poor absorption, bleeding, or low intake etc), so that you can treat the cause, not just the symptom. Some foods high in iron include: soy, black-strap molasses (mix in cereals etc), legumes (beans, lentils and peas), quinoa and red meats (although I doubt your son is quite ready for that at 14mos). Absorption is increased when combined with vitamin C (citrus, berries, red peppers, broccoli, papaya etc) Iron is a very poorly absorbed mineral, and even more poorly absorbed in a pill type form. Make sure you give him a liquid supplement, which is easier to absorb and often cause fewer side effects than a solid supplement. Always give an iron supplement with a meal to minimize the chances of stomach irritation. Good luck!
