Some Toddlers at Greater Risk for Iron Deficiency

As toddlers progress from babies to big kids, they tend to drink more milk and become ever more finicky about what they put in their tiny mouths. That's why the 1- to 3-year-old age range is also prime time for little ones to potentially develop iron deficiency — a problem that affects 2.4 million U.S. kids.

And, according to a new study, certain toddlers are at especially high risk of not getting enough iron (also called iron deficiency, when the body's iron stores have become depleted).

Looking at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data about blood tests taken from 1,641 1- to 3-year-olds, the researchers found that toddlers are:

• Nearly three times as likely to be iron deficient if they're overweight (20%) than normal weight (7%).
• Twice as likely to be iron deficient if they aren’t in day care or preschool (10%) than those who are (5%).
• Twice as likely to be iron deficient if they're Hispanic (12%) than if they're white or black (6% in both groups).

An essential part of child's regular diet, iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. Red blood cells circulate throughout the body to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Without enough iron, the body can't make enough red blood cells and the body's tissues and organs won't get the oxygen they need to function well.

It's all-too-common for toddlers to not get nearly enough iron because:

•  After 12 months old, kids no longer drink iron-fortified formula and may not be eating iron-fortified infant cereal or enough other iron-containing foods.

• They may drink a lot of cow's milk, which is low in iron and may make them less hungry and less likely to eat iron-rich foods. Plus, milk decreases the absorption of iron and also can irritate the lining of the intestine in some kids, causing small amounts of bleeding and the gradual loss of iron in the stool (or poop).

A Closer Look at Iron Deficiency

On top of possibly affecting a child's growth, iron deficiency may lead to long-term learning and behavioral problems if it isn't caught early. And it can progress to iron-deficiency anemia, a condition marked by a decrease in the number of red blood cells.

Unfortunately, because the body's iron supply is depleted slowly, a lot of kids with iron-deficiency anemia don't have any obvious signs and symptoms, so it can be hard to detect. But as the anemia gradually gets worse, kids may experience:

• fatigue and weakness
• pale skin and mucous membranes
• rapid heartbeat or a new heart murmur
• irritability
• decreased appetite
• dizziness or a feeling of being lightheaded

What This Means to You

You can find the essential nutrient in various kinds of foods, but the iron in meat sources is absorbed more easily by the body than the iron in plant foods. Some excellent sources that you can incorporate — or even sneak — into your family's everyday diet include: