After 6 months of age, most babies are at risk of iron deficiency. Once iron deficiency anemia occurs, it will reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, which will have a great impact on the baby’s respiratory, digestive and circulatory system functions, as well as physical development and intelligence. Undoubtedly, iron intake from the diet is the best choice, but what should be given to the baby to eat? How to eat to get iron easily? The right guidance is also needed. Causes of iron deficiency: Why does iron deficiency haunt babies? This is related to the baby’s growth and development characteristics and feeding methods. Originally, the amount of iron stored in the body of a normal newborn is enough to supply the hematopoietic needs between 4 and 6 months after birth, but if the mother does not have enough iron intake during pregnancy, she cannot store enough iron in the baby’s body. Most importantly, with the rapid growth and development of the baby, if the baby’s complementary food is not added in time or improperly, such as too little intake of animal liver and meat, or if the baby suffers from chronic diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases, iron deficiency is more likely to occur. Signs of iron deficiency It usually takes a while for a baby to develop iron deficiency anemia, so usually the mother should pay attention to observe and find the first signs of anemia in time: the baby’s skin is gradually pale or pale yellow, with the lips and oral mucosa being the most obvious, easily feeling tired and weak, inactive, with a reduced appetite, and even not smiling. Baby mama tips: whether iron deficiency anemia to check to say! It is advisable to have a routine blood test at 6 months of age to screen for normal hemoglobin and if there are any abnormalities, the doctor will recommend further tests. The key to iron deficiency anemia is prevention and timely iron supplementation to the baby’s diet. What to eat for iron from 0 to 3 years old According to the recommended iron intake of the Chinese Nutrition Society, babies from 6 months to 12 months need to consume 10 mg of iron per day, and babies from 1 to 3 years old need to consume 12 mg of iron per day to meet the needs of their body development and thus stay away from the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia. The approximate absorption rate of iron in each food for babies: from high to low: breast milk 50%, meat and liver 10%, vegetables 2%-5%, milk & egg yolk 0.2%-0.5%. For breastfed babies, although breast milk is low in iron, it is most easily absorbed by the baby, so the mother should eat more iron-rich foods during breastfeeding. Special attention should be paid to the fact that meat and liver foods, although high in iron, have a low absorption rate, so they must be consumed at the same time with VC, which can increase the baby’s absorption of iron by more than 10 times. So iron supplementation while eating some fruits containing vitamin C, such as kiwi, strawberries, oranges, etc. These water with acidity is rich in vitamin C, which can promote the absorption and utilization of iron in the baby’s body. Iron supplementation try to take from food! Iron can be divided into heme iron (contained in animal foods such as red meat, animal liver and liver and fish) and non-heme iron (contained in vegetable, soybean, seaweed and other plant foods). Meat such as beef, lamb, animal liver and blood, and fish are richer in iron. Vegetables such as amaranth, mustard, chard and other dark green vegetables are rich in iron. In addition, such as whole grains and dried fruits are also good choices for iron supplementation. For most babies, iron supplements should not be taken unless directed by a doctor, but rather try to increase iron intake from food. What complementary foods are rich in iron? As your baby gets older, you can add iron-rich supplements in time to meet your baby’s iron needs by 6 months of age. 1, iron-containing infant rice flour Suitable age: 6 months of age Baby rice flour should be the first food baby complementary food. Rice flour is very important when you first start supplemental food addition. Firstly, for babies who are just starting to eat complementary foods, rice flour is safer than animal-based iron-containing foods such as red meat and liver and is less likely to attract allergies or indigestion, and secondly, the texture of rice flour is very fine and easily digested by babies. What’s more, the extra iron, vitamins and other trace elements added to baby rice flour are especially suitable for growing babies. 2, animal liver Suitable for age: 7 months or more babies Liver contains high iron and good absorption rate, easy to eat and digest, also not easy to cause allergies, especially suitable for babies to eat. Pork liver has the highest iron content, followed by lamb liver and beef liver, while chicken liver has the lowest iron content. It can be given to babies 1-2 times a week. 3, black fungus Suitable age: 8 months or older babies Each 100 grams of black fungus contains 98 mg of iron, about 5 times higher than the highest iron content in animal food, pig liver. However, black fungus is not suitable for babies with a weak stomach. It can be chopped up and made into a supplement. 4.Animal blood Suitable age: 10 months old and above The advantage of animal blood is that it is rich in nutrients, high in iron and has a high absorption rate, and can be added to complementary foods in small amounts each time. 5, sesame paste Suitable for age: 10 months or older baby Sesame paste is rich in various nutrients, and is a very tasty food for babies. Sesame paste contains 58 mg of iron per 100 grams, and is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein and fat. You can eat it in buns or bread, or mix it with vegetables. When to eat egg yolk? Although egg yolks are high in iron, they have the lowest absorption rate. American doctors recommend eating eggs after one year of age, but considering the habits of Chinese mothers, it is best to eat them after 7 months. Is it normal for babies to have light green stools after taking iron supplements? The iron that cannot be digested is directly excreted and will turn green when it meets the air, which is a normal phenomenon. The actual fact is that you can get a lot more than just a few of these. Although the name of lactoferrin has iron in it, it is not used to supplement iron. The real identity of lactoferrin is “iron transfer protein”, which is equivalent to the transport of iron porter, whether it can replenish iron, first of all, there must be sufficient iron to do, if it is really iron deficiency, only replenish lactoferrin is not enough, as if the goods are not enough, the transport truck can only run empty.