Abstract
Background: Iron supplements are often recommended for older breast-fed infants, but little is known about factors affecting iron absorption from human milk or supplements. Objective: We investigated the effects of age, iron status, and iron intake on iron absorption in healthy, term, breast-fed infants. Design: Twenty-five infants were randomly assigned to receive either 1) iron supplements (1 mg·kg -1·d -1) from 4 to 9 mo of age, 2) placebo from 4 to 6 mo and iron supplements from 6 to 9 mo, or 3) placebo from 4 to 9 mo. Infants were exclusively breast-fed to 6 mo and partially breast-fed to 9 mo of age. Iron absorption was assessed by giving 58Fe with mother's milk at 6 and 9 mo. Blood samples were obtained at 4, 6, and 9 mo, and complementary food intake was recorded at 9 mo. Results: At 6 mo, mean (±SD) fractional iron absorption from human milk was relatively low (16.4 ± 11.4%), with no significant difference between iron-supplemented and unsupplemented infants. At 9 mo, iron absorption from human milk remained low in iron-supplemented infants (16.9 ± 9.3%) but was higher (P = 0.01) in unsupplemented infants (36.7 ± 18.9%). Unexpectedly, iron absorption at 9 mo was not correlated with iron status but was significantly correlated with intake of dietary iron, including supplemental iron. Conclusions: Changes in the regulation of iron absorption between 6 and 9 mo enhance the infant's ability to adapt to a low-iron diet and provide a mechanism by which some, but not all, infants avoid iron deficiency despite low iron intakes in late infancy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 198-204 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - 2002 |
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Keywords
- Adaptation
- Breast milk
- Complementary food
- Dietary iron intake
- Dietary regulator
- Human milk
- Infants
- Iron status
- Iron supplements
- Nonheme-iron absorption
- Stable isotopes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Food Science
Cite this
Iron absorption in breast-fed infants : Effects of age, iron status, iron supplements, and complementary foods. / Domellöf, Magnus; Lönnerdal, Bo; Abrams, Steven A.; Hernell, Olle.
In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 76, No. 1, 2002, p. 198-204.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Iron absorption in breast-fed infants
T2 - Effects of age, iron status, iron supplements, and complementary foods
AU - Domellöf, Magnus
AU - Lönnerdal, Bo
AU - Abrams, Steven A.
AU - Hernell, Olle
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Background: Iron supplements are often recommended for older breast-fed infants, but little is known about factors affecting iron absorption from human milk or supplements. Objective: We investigated the effects of age, iron status, and iron intake on iron absorption in healthy, term, breast-fed infants. Design: Twenty-five infants were randomly assigned to receive either 1) iron supplements (1 mg·kg -1·d -1) from 4 to 9 mo of age, 2) placebo from 4 to 6 mo and iron supplements from 6 to 9 mo, or 3) placebo from 4 to 9 mo. Infants were exclusively breast-fed to 6 mo and partially breast-fed to 9 mo of age. Iron absorption was assessed by giving 58Fe with mother's milk at 6 and 9 mo. Blood samples were obtained at 4, 6, and 9 mo, and complementary food intake was recorded at 9 mo. Results: At 6 mo, mean (±SD) fractional iron absorption from human milk was relatively low (16.4 ± 11.4%), with no significant difference between iron-supplemented and unsupplemented infants. At 9 mo, iron absorption from human milk remained low in iron-supplemented infants (16.9 ± 9.3%) but was higher (P = 0.01) in unsupplemented infants (36.7 ± 18.9%). Unexpectedly, iron absorption at 9 mo was not correlated with iron status but was significantly correlated with intake of dietary iron, including supplemental iron. Conclusions: Changes in the regulation of iron absorption between 6 and 9 mo enhance the infant's ability to adapt to a low-iron diet and provide a mechanism by which some, but not all, infants avoid iron deficiency despite low iron intakes in late infancy.
AB - Background: Iron supplements are often recommended for older breast-fed infants, but little is known about factors affecting iron absorption from human milk or supplements. Objective: We investigated the effects of age, iron status, and iron intake on iron absorption in healthy, term, breast-fed infants. Design: Twenty-five infants were randomly assigned to receive either 1) iron supplements (1 mg·kg -1·d -1) from 4 to 9 mo of age, 2) placebo from 4 to 6 mo and iron supplements from 6 to 9 mo, or 3) placebo from 4 to 9 mo. Infants were exclusively breast-fed to 6 mo and partially breast-fed to 9 mo of age. Iron absorption was assessed by giving 58Fe with mother's milk at 6 and 9 mo. Blood samples were obtained at 4, 6, and 9 mo, and complementary food intake was recorded at 9 mo. Results: At 6 mo, mean (±SD) fractional iron absorption from human milk was relatively low (16.4 ± 11.4%), with no significant difference between iron-supplemented and unsupplemented infants. At 9 mo, iron absorption from human milk remained low in iron-supplemented infants (16.9 ± 9.3%) but was higher (P = 0.01) in unsupplemented infants (36.7 ± 18.9%). Unexpectedly, iron absorption at 9 mo was not correlated with iron status but was significantly correlated with intake of dietary iron, including supplemental iron. Conclusions: Changes in the regulation of iron absorption between 6 and 9 mo enhance the infant's ability to adapt to a low-iron diet and provide a mechanism by which some, but not all, infants avoid iron deficiency despite low iron intakes in late infancy.
KW - Adaptation
KW - Breast milk
KW - Complementary food
KW - Dietary iron intake
KW - Dietary regulator
KW - Human milk
KW - Infants
KW - Iron status
KW - Iron supplements
KW - Nonheme-iron absorption
KW - Stable isotopes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036287966&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036287966&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 12081835
AN - SCOPUS:0036287966
VL - 76
SP - 198
EP - 204
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
SN - 0002-9165
IS - 1
ER -