Most healthy babies are able to maintain adequate stores of iron for the first few months of life. Around six or seven months, these iron stores slowly begin depleting. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, infants from seven to 12 months should get 11 milligrams of iron daily. Fortunately, breast milk is an excellent source of iron. To avoid an excess amount of iron in your baby's body, avoid foods high in iron while he is breastfeeding. Consult your doctor for recommendations specific to you and your child.
Meats
Since the body stores iron inside the liver, animal livers are an extremely rich source of iron. Although most parents generally would not feed any type of liver to a baby, it is still wise to keep the iron-rich food from his diet. Other iron-rich meat sources include oysters, beef, fish and dark-meat turkey. Although eggs are not actually a meat source, they do come from animals. Since egg yolks contain a high amount of iron, you should also keep them from your baby's diet while he is breastfeeding.
Fortified Cereals
A variety of baby cereals are fortified with iron. Although each cereal brand varies slightly in terms of nutrition, most fortified cereals provide around 18 mg of iron per 3/4-cup serving. Since a baby's daily iron requirements fall at just 11 mg, this serving size of fortified cereal puts the child at risk for iron overdose. One cup of fortified oatmeal provides 10 mg of iron --- which, in conjunction with breast milk, will exceed your baby's iron requirement.
Vitamin C
Although most foods rich in vitamin C do not contain significant amounts of iron, these foods may still affect the baby's iron levels. The Wholesome Baby Food website explains, "eating foods that are high in vitamin C will help the body absorb non-heme iron that is present in most foods served in a meal." In most cases, this unique partnership benefits the body greatly. However, if your baby's diet contains high amounts of vitamin C, it may result in the absorption of too much iron into her body.
Iron Supplements
As with nearly all vitamins and minerals, iron supplements are available as a convenient option to help adults reach their recommended daily values. Within the home, keep all vitamins and supplements in closed, child-proof containers high above the ground. As the U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus website notes, babies and children can easily develop iron poisoning by accidentally swallowing too many iron supplements. Reduce this risk by keeping iron supplements away from children.
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