Should I be concerned about iron?

[etwahl]

lauren is 10 months and i just wondered if i should be worried about iron for her. she hasn't been eating cereal (they constipated her in the beginning, now i just tried oatmeal and she HATED it...refused to eat it).

we're mostly just breastfeeding, with fruits and veggies added in a couple times a day.

should i be concerned? what happens if they don't get enough iron? should i take her to the doctor to get tested?

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Did they test her at the 9 month checkup? They usually do. Logan was tested and was fine, and she is breastfed plus very little fruits and veggies and that's all. She was fine.

There is plenty of iron in breastmilk.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[etwahl]

i didn't take her for her 9 month appt. i didn't know it was a requirement actually. plus it was the time when the flu was rampant. should i take her in now to get tested? i do take vitamins with iron added.

glad to hear we're not the only ones on just fruits and veggies. plus she prefers her veggies pureed a lot of the time. she's still really getting the hang of chunkier foods. i think she's just a slow learner in that department.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

Tammy-
The miltary doesn't do 9 month appointments. My friend who is stationed here on Hill had a 6 month and was told her next appointment was at one year. Also she asked about the blood test for iron and was told that they don't test unless the baby is showing signs of anemia.

[Momof3Labs]

Here is some info for you - you can make your own decision based on this.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/iron.html

Just wanted to let you know that we too didn't have a 9 month appt for the EXACT same reasons!!!!

Now I did take him in two weeks ago due to his diaper rash, it was a saturday morning appt and there was only one other child in there...but they did nothing but check his diaper rash!!!!

We too will be holding off for that year appt!!!!
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

Okay, so why did the NP freak out when I told her I was holding off on solids food until 12 mos? We did a 9 mo apt and she was all over me! Telling me he needed iron and vitamin D and flouride.... She also was all upset because he wasn't crawling or pulling up. We tried to give him rice cereal after the first of the year and it makes him gag. Should I try fruit? Oh, btw, they did the iron test and he was FINE! Grrr. May need to find a new ped office.

[Rachels]

Sounds like it! Here's another link for you:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...ay-solids.html

FWIW, though, it's pretty common for babies to gag when they start solids. It takes them a while to learn to swallow.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

It seems strange to me that the military doesn't cover a 9-month check, since I thought that was on the AAP list of recommended well check times. I also thought it was the standard time to test for anemia since it's about that time that the babies' stores from before birth have been depleted. I personally was really concerned about getting James' iron checked, particularly since I was quite anemic during pregnancy and then barely in the normal range afterwards, despite some pretty aggressive supplementation. I know that the mom's level supposedly has no effect on the baby, but I was just hyper aware, I guess. I disagree with the doctor who felt it was necessary to check iron only if the baby shows signs of anemia. I would not have known by any symptoms that I was anemic, and I can tell someone if I am tired and cranky. How would you know that in a baby? I mean, you might know a baby is tired, but how do you know whether it's just normal for that child?

Anyway, FWIW, James' level was low at 9 months, although he was nursing quite a bit and not drinking any cow's milk or formula. I started giving supplements every day or so, and by 12 months his level was normal. On the doctor's advice, we then discontinued the supplements because of constipation. The doctor told me that if the level were still low, he would order a more accurate test, and if that also showed a deficiency, he would explore other options for getting him additional iron. So apparently there are some options if babies do turn out to have a real need for supplementation.

HTH.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

Elizabeth-\
You'd be amazed at what the miltary doesn't cover. As far as getting appointments they (at least on our base) only take appointments for that day so you have to get up at 6am to get an appointment. I went with her to her 6 month appointment so I know that's what they told her. They gave her a few signs to look for but other then that they weren't concerned with testing the babies iron.