The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine reports that in the 1980s, accidental overdose of iron supplements was the most frequent cause of unintentional pharmaceutical ingestion deaths in children younger than 6 years, accounting for 30.2 percent of these events in the United States. This led to a decision by the FDA to package iron supplements in smaller dose packages. Since that decision, child fatalities due to iron poisoning have dropped dramatically.
Function
Iron is used to carry oxygen throughout the body via the protein hemoglobin, which is found in the red blood cells. If you don't have enough iron in your body, the cells in your body won't receive the oxygen they need to function. You may feel tired or weak. Children will have a hard time concentrating in school. Another symptom of anemia is glossitis, or swelling of the tongue.
Recommended Dietary Allowances
The Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, of iron for infants 7 to 12 months is 11 mg/d. The RDA for children 1 to 3 years is 7 mg/d and for 4 to 7 years is 10 mg/d. For males aged 9 to 13 and 19 and older the RDA is 8 mg/d. Between ages 14 and 18, boys need 11 mg/d. For females aged 9 to 13 and over 50, the RDA is 8 mg/d. Girls aged 14 to 18 years need 15 mg/d and for ages 19 to 50 years, the RDA is 18 mg/d.
The RDA for pregnant women is 27 mg/d and for breastfeeding women it's 9 mg/d. The measurement mg/d is milligrams per day. Infants are born with enough iron stores from their mother to last about six months.
Tolerable Upper Limits
Iron can build up in the blood and become toxic, so the Institutes of Medicine, or IOM, has listed the maximum amount of iron you should consume. This includes iron from food and supplements. The upper limit of iron for children up to age 13 is 40 mg/d. For children and adults over 13, the upper limit is 45 mg/d.
Considerations
Iron supplements should only be taken if you aren't getting enough iron in the food you eat. Your health-care provider can give you a simple blood test to check the level of iron stores in your blood. If they are low you may be given a prescription for iron supplements.
Most pregnant women will need iron supplements during their pregnancy.
Symptoms of Toxicity
If you have taken too much iron you may experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Serious iron poisoning leads to vomiting blood, abdominal pain, irritability, unconsciousness and possibly coma. Iron poisoning requires hospitalization.
Warning
Always keep iron supplements out of reach of children.
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