Despite the body's need for iron, many children don't get enough of it, which can lead to problems with learning, concentration, and behavior. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in childhood, and according to researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and the American Academy of Pediatrics Center for Child Health Research in Rochester, New York, failure to break the bottle habit may contribute to iron deficiency in many toddlers.
In a national nutrition survey, the parents of 2,121 1- to 3-year-olds noted at what age the child stopped consuming breast milk or formula. The parents in the study also noted their family's race/ethnicity. Each child also underwent blood testing to check for iron deficiency; their heights and weights were measured to determine body mass index (BMI).
Iron deficiency was common among the children in the study:
- 6% of white children had iron deficiency
- 8% of black children had iron deficiency
- 17% of Mexican American children had iron deficiency
In general, the longer a child used a bottle, the greater the likelihood that he or she had iron deficiency. The statistics showed that:
- almost 4% of children bottle-fed 12 months or less had iron deficiency
- nearly 12% of children bottle-fed 13 to 23 months had iron deficiency
- and more than 12% of children bottle-fed between 2 and 4 years had iron deficiency
Most children were bottle-fed for less than 23 months, but over a third of Mexican American children were still being bottle-fed between 2 and 4 years of age, compared with only 17% of white children and 14% of black children.
What This Means to You: The results of this study show that long-term bottle-feeding puts kids at risk for iron deficiency, which can affect a child's behavior and ability to concentrate. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children begin to use a cup at age 6 months and be fully weaned from the bottle by 15 months of age. Doing so will help ensure your child gets the iron he or she needs from foods like iron-fortified breakfast cereals, leafy green vegetables, eggs, fish, red meat, and poultry. In addition to offering your child an iron-rich diet, you should limit his or her milk intake to about 16 to 24 fluid ounces (473 to 710 milliliters) a day.
If you're concerned that your child may not be getting enough iron in his or her diet, talk to your child's doctor. However, you shouldn't give your child iron supplements unless they're prescribed by your child's doctor because excessive iron intake can cause health problems in some children.
Source: Jane M. Brotanek, MD, MPH; Jill S. Halterman, MD, MPH; Peggy Auinger, MS; Glenn Flores, MD; Michael Weitzman, MD; Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, November 2005.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: December 2005
