How important is iron for children?
Iron is an important mineral for children’s growth because it helps promote various developments. It is also an important component of red blood cells to carry oxygen to various organs of the body, resulting in a balanced body with good development.
Iron-rich food sources
Infants can receive iron from their mothers’ wombs at birth. Breast milk contains 0.35 mg/L of iron. If 800 ml of breast milk is produced per day, infants will สมัคร ufabet receive 0.27 mg of iron per day. Therefore, in the first 6 months of life, infants should receive 0.27 mg of iron per day from breast milk, together with stored iron from the breakdown of hemoglobin, which is sufficient.
In addition to the iron found in breast milk, there are other foods that are high in iron for children, including:
- Meat, red meat such as beef and pork
- Egg yolks: School-aged children should eat them regularly to avoid iron deficiency.
- Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, morning glory, broccoli and should be eaten with fruits that are high in vitamin C to help improve iron absorption.
- You should not eat food with cow’s milk or soy milk because the calcium in milk and phytate in soy milk will reduce the absorption of iron.
Common signs of iron deficiency include:
- Feeling unusually tired
- Low energy levels
- Irritable and behavioural challenges
- Poor concentration and memory
- Frequent colds or infections
More serious signs of anaemia include:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Brittle nails
- Thinning hair
- Itchy skin
- Sore and ulcers
Some children at a higher risk of iron deficiency than others. Infants and children are at risk of iron deficiency if:
- Their mother has an iron deficiency
- They were born premature or underweight
- They are exclusively breast fed after 6 months of age
- They had late introduction to iron rich foods
- They consume large quantities of cow’s milk
- They’re vegetarian or vegan
- They have any gastrointestinal disorders such as coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel
- They have chronic blood loss