Iron Rich Foods

Medical practitioners should try to ensure that children and women of childbearing age are iron replete. Commonsense dictates that, because of the concern over persisting neurocognitive deficits, it is much better to prevent iron deficiency in the community than to treat it case by case. Although it is tempting to view iron depletion as a problem of disadvantage, many other children are at risk. Ensuring enough Iron Rich Foods are in the diet is critical; thus

We therefore recommend that:

• Young kids of high-risk ethnic groups, survivors of prematurity and children with too much cows' milk intake or extended breast-feeding (breast milk is very low in iron) should have a full blood examination and iron studies, including measurement of ferritin levels.

• Any seriously delayed child should be tested for iron status. Also, kids with breath holding may be iron deficient, and breath holding may improve substantially following iron supplementation.¹¹

• Iron-lacking kids should get a lot of supplementation of elemental iron at a dose of 6 mg/kg per day for about two to three months, when the iron studies should be repeated. Commercial iron preparations are relatively unpalatable, and it is often difficult to enforce prolonged therapy. Iron absorption is enhanced if supplements are administered with a vitamin C source, such as orange juice. Parents should be warned that bowel motions are often black and that this does not denote ill-health. Dietary advice about iron-rich foods should also be offered.

• Protocol info for iron deficiency should be included into the young years process currently being promoted by the Australian Health and Aged Care and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, which does focus on optimising intellectual and social outcomes with interventions directed at toddlers.