Breast-Fed Kids May Have Low Iron Levels, Study Finds

Although breast-feeding is generally considered the best way to nourish an infant, new research suggests that in the long term it may lead to lower levels of iron. "What we found was that over a year of age, the longer the child is breast-fed, the greater the risk of iron deficiency," said the study's lead author, Dr. Jonathon Maguire, pediatrician and scientist at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto in Canada. The study, released online April 15 in the journal Pediatrics, did not, however, find a statistical relationship between the duration of breast-feeding and iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is a condition in which the body has too few red blood cells. Iron is an important nutrient, especially in children. It is vital for normal development of the nervous system and brain, according to background information included in the study. Growth spurts increase the body's need for iron, and infancy is a time of rapid growth. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_136091.html