Iron Supplement

[snowangel182]

Please help me decide which iron supplement to give my ds. She is 6 months and breast-fed and just starting solids and the pediatrician wants her on iron now. The only thing she recommended is Tri-Vi-Sol by Enfamil. Is this what you give your baby? Or have you found something better? I give her Carlson Vit D right now - pure and simple. Wish I could find an iron supplement like that!!! Thanks for your advice and guidance!

[Bokonon]

Tri-Vi-Sol doesn't even have iron in it, so I would seriously question your doctor's advice.

There are just iron supplements available - Fer-in-Sol and others.

Full-term breastfed babies aren't usually anemic, so I would ask for a blood test before supplementing.

[ann_of_loxley]

I find it very interesting that this seems to only be pushed in America. I live in the UK and our breastfed babies survive just fine without iron OR vit D supplements (not once has it ever been suggested or recommended - anywhere). I wouldn't even put my baby through a blood test (more than ouch!) to test for something when there is no clear problem to it in the first place (you can usually tell when someone - especially a baby - is anemic).

[PatioGardener]

Here is some great info from Kellymom on iron supplements for babies: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

If baby was term and the cord was not clamped quickly at birth, I personally would not supplement unless a blood test (done for a medical reason, not just screening at 6 months) indicated it was necessary.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

(you can usually tell when someone - especially a baby - is anemic).

This is not necessarily true. My DD was a preemie, so at higher risk for anemia, but she had NO signs of it whatsoever and was significantly anemic at 9 months.

[mommaklo]

Did they do a blood draw to test her iron levels? If not, I wouldnt worry about it. We let ds cord pump until it stopped on its own before dh cut it (they asked us 2x if we were ready to cut it, my dh just kept saying "is it still pumping? Then No!") but at ds 2 mo check up his ped didnt even ask about that he just told me to put him on vit d and Iron (specifically tri-vi-sol), I did already have carlsons vit d for him, but havent done iron. If you are really serious about it, I would look into floradix for kids or call the company "Flora," because I do see on the label it says it contains honey. They might have a suggestion. Otherwise, I would wait. Iron overdosing is common in kids and babies too Im sure, there are warnings on labels regarding it. Someone told me if you get WIC assistance, they will check the babies levels at 9 mos, but maybe thats just in my state (WA). Even so if the states not even worried about it till 9 mos and shes nursing just fine.........

mom to ds and wife to dh