Define Iron requirements of infants?
The maintenance needs for all age groups is 14 mcg/kg body weights. For infants and preschoolers, iron needs for growth and' expansion of blood volume should be added. In first two weeks of life, the haemoglobin falls to a normal level of 11-12 g/dl from 17-23 g/dl at birth. The iron is redistributed in the first month of infancy hence breast milk alone meets iron needs of infants. Although iron in breast milk is low, it is very well absorbed. Iron fortified complementary foods are important in maintaining the iron status of infants especially in situations where additional iron rich foods are not offered to the infant after 6 months of age.
Breast milk may not be a rich source of iron but its iron has better bioavailability and meet the need of exclusively breast-fed infants up to 6 months. Losses of iron in infants and its turnover are not precisely known hence it is difficult to ascertain infant needs. ICMR (1990) has not suggested any allowances for infants. In usual practice, Img dietary iron/kg body weight should be met. When the bioavailability of iron in the diet is poor, the requirement is likely to be more than 1 mg per kg per day. The iron requirements of preschoolers are 12 mg (1-3 years) and 18 mg (4-6 years), as suggested by ICMR (1990), where the requirements are computed considering their requirement for maintenance (14 mcg/kg/BW), growth and blood volume (15 mcg/kg/BW) and absorption rate of 3%.