Biomaterial Database

Iron deficiency in infants and young children. 1995

N Belton

If we are to reduce the incidence of iron deficiency, parents need more education in how to prevent it. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional problem in early childhood in the UK and may adversely affect development. Breast milk, infant formulae and follow-on formulae all provide enough absorbable iron for the young infant, but the iron content in cow's milk is poorly absorbed. Problems may arise between the ages of six months and two years. While many commercial weaning foods are fortified with iron and vitamin C, there are indications that household foods ("home cooking") do not always provide enough iron. Studies are beginning to suggest that a significant proportion of infants and 2-5 year olds may not be getting enough iron. Foods which contain plenty of haem iron (meat, meat products, and poultry) provide the most readily absorbable iron. Non-haem iron, found in fruits, vegetables and cereals, is not well absorbed Vitamin C improves absorption of iron

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007225	Infant Food	Food processed and manufactured for the nutritional health of children in their first year of life.	Food, Infant,Foods, Infant,Infant Foods
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004032	Diet	Regular course of eating and drinking adopted by a person or animal.	Diets
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D015362	Child Nutrition Disorders	Disorders caused by nutritional imbalance, either overnutrition or undernutrition, occurring in children ages 2 to 12 years.	Child Malnutrition,Nutrition Disorders, Child,Child Overnutrition,Malnutrition in Children,Malnutrition, Child,Child Nutrition Disorder,Nutrition Disorder, Child,Overnutrition, Child
D018798	Anemia, Iron-Deficiency	Anemia characterized by decreased or absent iron stores, low serum iron concentration, low transferrin saturation, and low hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit value. The erythrocytes are hypochromic and microcytic and the iron binding capacity is increased.	Iron-Deficiency Anemia,Anemias, Iron-Deficiency,Iron-Deficiency Anemias,Anemia, Iron Deficiency,Anemias, Iron Deficiency,Iron Deficiency Anemia,Iron Deficiency Anemias