Too Much Iron In Formula Might Delay Infant Development

Ann Arbor, MI (AHN) - Giving your infants too much iron which they do not need may delay their development, a study has found.

The study, led by Dr. Betsy Lozoff, University of Michigan research professor at the Centre for Human Growth and Development, leads a debate on the desirable level of iron supplements.

The study of 494 Chilean children showed that by age 10, those who got 12 mg of iron fortified formula in infancy fall behind those who got low-iron formula based on their cognitive and visual-motor progress.

Infant formula in the U.S. usually has 12 mg/L of iron while Europe has a lower amount.

Iron is a key part of hemoglobin, which is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs out to the rest of the body. Iron deficiency anemia can cause infants or toddlers to have mental, motor or behavior problems.

The research was to be presented Monday at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Honolulu.