Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency in Young Children: New Recommendations

The new recommendations call for universal screening at age 1 year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition has updated its 1999 policy statement on iron fortification of formulas to include the diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in infants (age, <12 months) and toddlers (age, 12–35 months). Highlights of the statement include the following:

Infants

Term breast-fed infants should receive iron supplementation (1 mg/kg/day) starting at age 4 months and continuing until they consume iron-containing foods.
Iron-fortified formulas (12 mg/L) should provide sufficient iron for infants and are not associated with gastrointestinal symptoms.
Prematurity, low socioeconomic status, and exclusive breast-feeding after age 4 months are risk factors for ID and ID…

Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Diagnosis and Prevention of Iron Deficiency in Young Children: New Recommendations

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