Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by
The baby food aisle at the supermarket is a minefield of conflicting advice: Do you give your baby rice cereal? What about fruits and veggies? And how much iron should he or she take in?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants between 4 months and 6 months old get 11 milligrams of iron per day. After 6 months, they should get 7 milligrams per day.

But what if your baby isn’t getting enough iron in his or her diet? In that case, you might want to consider an infant multivitamin with iron.
“Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in children,” says Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., author of Food and Healing and founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City. “It’s very prevalent from birth until adolescence.”
Infant vitamins come in many forms, including liquid drops and chewable tablets. They are designed to meet the needs of infants and children who are unable to eat a well-balanced diet.
In addition to vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and C, infant vitamins may contain iron. This essential mineral helps keep blood cells healthy, which is especially important during infancy. However, too much iron can be dangerous for infants because it can lead to an overload of iron in their bloodstreams.
In general, most pediatricians recommend that parents don’t give their babies multivitamins containing iron until they reach six months old. When giving your baby a multi-vitamin containing iron after six months old, be sure that it contains only 6 milligrams (mg) of elemental iron per serving or less. This will help ensure that your baby does not receive too much iron from his vitamins.
The most important thing to remember when feeding your baby is that the more you can offer the better. It’s always best to breastfeed, but if you can’t, formula is a good substitute. Formula for infants should be iron-fortified.
If you’re breastfeeding and want to supplement with infant vitamins, look for one that contains vitamins A, C, D and E as well as iron. The purpose of these vitamins is to help support healthy growth and development in addition to providing some of the nutrients that breast milk doesn’t provide (such as iron).
It’s also important that your infant receives vitamin D in his or her diet since it’s essential for bone health. Vitamin D can be found in some foods (like fatty fish), but it’s often added to fortified cereals and other foods as well as infant formulas.
If your child has a medical condition or a specific dietary need (such as gluten intolerance), please consult with your doctor about adding additional supplements to their diet
Iron is an essential nutrient for infants. Iron helps your baby’s body make red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Without enough iron, your baby won’t get enough oxygen and can become anemic.
Iron-fortified formulas contain all the nutrients that infants need. There’s no need to give your baby an additional supplement with iron unless instructed by a doctor or other health care professional.
If you’re breastfeeding, continue to eat foods rich in iron and avoid foods that interfere with iron absorption (see below). If you’re not breastfeeding, taking a prenatal vitamin will help ensure you get enough of this nutrient.
Infant vitamins with iron
If you’re breastfeeding, continue to eat foods rich in iron and avoid foods that interfere with its absorption (see below). If you’re not breastfeeding, taking a prenatal vitamin will help ensure you get enough of this nutrient.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants receive iron-fortified formula or breast milk for the first 12 months. At least until 6 months, breast milk is the best source of nutrition for your baby. After 6 months, you can add iron-fortified infant cereal and pureed meat, poultry and fish to the diet.
You should consult with your doctor about introducing solid foods to your baby. The AAP recommends starting at 4 to 6 months when a baby is developmentally ready for solid foods.
After reading this article, it is important you begin your search for the best infant vitamins that contain iron. As I mentioned earlier, there is a huge amount of research circulating about the dangers of being deficient in iron and the benefits of taking a supplement to help prevent that from happening. I have made modern day conveniences available by allowing you to find products online so you can buy things instantly without having to go from store to store looking.
The only downside to this product is the price. Although it’s much cheaper than most brands of infant vitamins, if you have multiple children then the cost can add up quickly.
There were two studies that were looked at by the researchers in their analysis. In one study, infants who had a daily program of prophylactic vitamin A or beta carotene had an increased risk of developing lung cancer after 15 years of follow up. Another study found that for infants and children who were given a daily dose of vitamin A had increased average height and weight, but after more than 15 years later they had an increased risk of hip fracture and death from ischemia related to coronary heart disease.
Iron deficiency is common for babies, but it varies in severity. Also, a lot of parents decide to use vitamin supplementation for their baby even though there’s little evidence that this will actually benefit them.