Excessive Iron May Harm Your Baby As Much As Its Deficiency Does

Putting years of survey and research on importance of iron supplements in baby food at stake , the new eyebrow raising findings of the study by the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan, now would make every parent think twice before giving iron fortified cereal and foods to their babies.

The results of the study confirm that extra iron for infants who are not in need of it might prove to be a deterrent in their normal developmental process.

The study is not only an eye opener for the parents, but also has huge implications on the baby formula and food industry worldwide.

The researchers at the university were studying iron fortified food, expecting improved levels of behavior and development patterns in children. However, they were in for a surprise with their findings.

"Our results for 25 years of research show problems with lack of iron. For us to find this result is a big deal, it's really unexpected," said Dr. Betsy Lozoff, research professor and the study's principal investigator.

Generally the formulas in US come fortified with 12 mg/L of iron to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. This anemia is said to lead to poor development in children and often causes anemia in mothers during pregnancy, as a result of which there are low birth weights, pre-mature deliveries and other complications.

This random study involved giving 12mg or 2.3 mg iron formula to healthy infants without iron deficiency anemia, from 6-12 months of age and following them on till ten years.

However, when results were compared in the study on 494 children in total, from US and Chile, the findings were quite surprising. The US children, who were receiving 12 mg/l of iron in their formula as babies, now, at 10 years of age, lagged behind the Chile children, in cognitive and visual motor development. The children from Chile had received low iron formulas as infants.

Adversely affected children scored 11 points lower in IQ and 12 points lower in visual-motor integration, on average; the average overall score on both tests was 100. A similar pattern was observed for spatial memory and other visual-motor measures.

However the US children at 6 months of age had highest hemoglobin levels and these were the same children who after 10 years showed the poorest outcomes. High hemoglobin generally indicates sufficient iron.

These children would again be tested at 16 years of age.