Why Is Iron Important For Your Baby?

Babies run low on iron stores by 6 months

By 6 months, your baby will be starting to run low on the stores of iron they were born with.

By around 6 months, they can't get all the iron their bodies need from breastmilk or formula alone. So it’s important to start introducing solids when your baby shows interest in solid foods. This is usually when they're about 6 months old. 

Continue to breastfeed or bottle feed, as well as giving them solids, until they're one year or older. 

The importance of iron

Iron is especially important for your child's growth and development and to keep blood and brain cells healthy.

Offer iron-rich foods, vegetables and fruit as first foods, and continue to offer these foods every day.

Good choices for iron-rich first foods

• cooked and puréed or minced meats
• cooked and puréed or minced chicken
• cooked and puréed fish or seafood
• cooked and mashed tofu, beans or lentils (served with vitamin C rich vegetables or fruit)
• iron-fortified baby cereal

Eating foods that are high in vitamin C (like oranges and tomatoes) at meal and snack times helps the body to absorb more iron. This is important for vegetarian babies as the iron in plants is harder for the body to absorb than the iron in meat. 

Call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 for parenting advice, including advice about feeding your baby.