Iron for a healthy baby

Grow, and grow, and GROW. That’s what babies do. And to do this, they need iron.

Your baby uses the iron it gets from you to make red blood cells first. If there is not enough iron then other parts of the body, such as the heart, muscles and brain could potentially be compromised. ¹ In fact, iron is so important for the development of a healthy brain that children whose mothers had low iron can have a lower IQ.² The baby’s immune system (which helps them fight infections once they are born) can also be affected.²

It is not just for growth in the womb that your baby needs iron – iron is also crucial for growth after it has been born.² Because breast milk doesn’t have much iron in it, ³ your baby uses iron it stored during the last trimester of your pregnancy. A healthy, full-term baby will have enough iron to keep it growing normally until it is 4-6 months old. ³ After this they begin to get iron from the solid food they eat, or perhaps from formula. To learn more about iron and your baby after birth see our section on “iron and your baby”.

Your baby’s iron stores can be affected even if your iron levels are low but you do not have iron deficiency anaemia,² so make sure you stick to a diet high in iron.

Unnecessary iron supplementation is not healthy for you or your baby, so always speak to your doctor before adding a supplement to your diet, especially if you have no signs of iron deficiency.