Introduction:
The most widespread micronutrient shortage in the world, iron deficiency (ID), has the potential to affect a child's neurodevelopment seriously. Even though breast milk has low iron content, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is advised for six months. The fear of IDA (iron deficiency anemia) throughout infancy and childhood can have long-lasting adverse effects on neural development. One of the world's most significant issues today is improper newborn feeding practices, negatively affecting social and economic development. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life (defined as feeding with only breast milk without any additional food or water), with the introduction of other solid foods after six months of age, and to continue breastfeeding up to two years.
What Is the Incidence of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Breastfeeding Infants?
The most typical micronutrient insufficiency is iron deficiency (ID), which is thought to impact 38 % of pregnant women and 40 % of children under five worldwide. Iron deficiency anemia can develop from ID if left untreated and has been linked to potentially irreversible abnormalities in children's and babies' cognitive development. It serves as a sign of poor health and nutrition.
What Are Exclusive Breastfeeding and Non-exclusive Breastfeeding?
Exclusive breastfeeding is the practice of exclusively consuming breast milk with no other foods or liquids. Nonexclusive breastfeeding is consuming breast milk alongside additional liquids or foods. Total breastfeeding length is the word used to describe all breastfeeding duration, including exclusive or nonexclusive breastfeeding.
What Is the Association Between Breastfeeding and Iron Deficiency Anemia?
Iron is a crucial vitamin for healthy neurodevelopment. Unfortunately, according to data from various nations, preschool-aged children have an iron insufficiency rate of 8 %. With anemia, iron deficiency has been linked to unfavorable long-term neurodevelopmental effects.
Infants and young children are especially at risk for developing iron insufficiency due to the following reasons:
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Rapid growth.
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Rising dietary needs.
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Ingesting foods with low bioavailable iron.
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Preterm birth.
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Chronic disease.
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Specific racial and ethnic backgrounds.
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Low socioeconomic level.
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Prolonged bottle use.
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Early introduction or excessive consumption of cow's milk.
What Factors Are Contributing to the Development of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Children?
The main factors affecting children's nutritional status, which influences their hemoglobin levels, include feeding methods for infants and early children. If the mother is well-nourished, the nutritional requirements of full-time, normal birth weight newborns can typically be satisfied by human milk alone for the first six months. However, certain micronutrients may become scarce under certain conditions before the six-month mark. In the case of iron, the newborn's reserves at birth significantly influence the risk. Since human milk has a low iron content for anemia during infancy. The risk of iron insufficiency before six months is low in babies with average birth weight whose mothers had enough liver iron reserves throughout pregnancy.
Does Breast Milk Block the Absorption of Iron?
These findings imply that solid vegetable diets inhibit iron absorption, particularly breast milk-derived ones. In addition, research shows that exclusively breastfeeding is a superior strategy to using infant formulae with iron supplements to prevent iron insufficiency in the first few months of life. There is also a link between prolonged breastfeeding and decreased serum ferritin levels.
Can Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants Result From Prolonged Breastfeeding?
Breast milk takes only 0.3 milligrams of iron per day from the body. Therefore, nursing does not contribute to iron insufficiency in postpartum women. The average woman takes 14 milligrams of iron daily. This iron loss is similar to what the body loses after a period. However, newborns need an additional source of iron beyond breast milk by the age of six months. Little iron is present in breast milk, so parents of infants who only receive breast milk should inquire with their child's doctor about whether their infant needs iron supplements before six months. But in infants older than 12 months, prolonged exclusive breastfeeding positively correlates with anemia risk.
What Happens if the Mother of an Infant Suffers From Anemia?
Infants born at term and with a healthy birth weight often have enough iron reserves to last for the first three to four months. However, the problem occurs when there are insufficient iron reserves and a higher risk of anemia among newborns with good birth weight delivered to anemic moms. Although human milk has a high percentage of accessible iron, the iron content is highest in early transitional milk and steadily falls throughout lactation. Therefore, by six months, supplemental foods are essential to supply the iron and other nutrients vital for a baby's growth.
How to Prevent the Development of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Infants?
Given that complementary foods introduced before six months tend to replace breast milk and that growth is typically not improved by complementary feeding before six months, even under ideal conditions (i.e., nutritious, microbiologically safe food). Thus the potential health benefits of waiting until six months to introduce other foods outweigh any potential risks. However, it gets harder for breastfed newborns to get all the nutrients they require from human milk after six months. Additionally, most newborns are developmentally prepared for other foods by the time they are six months old. Families have different feeding habits formed throughout the first year, impacting subsequent feedings and a child's general health. To prevent iron deficiency anemia, reasonable complementary feeding practices are crucial; thus, prevention is vital.
Conclusion:
Iron deficiency anemia is one of the leading health issues affecting toddlers under two. The leading causes of iron deficiency anemia in infants and toddlers include delayed breastfeeding initiation, early nursing cessation, and top feeding. Therefore, to reduce the prevalence of IDA in babies and young children, it is crucial to encourage breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life and early breastfeeding. In addition, cow's milk should only be introduced as the primary milk beverage once the child has reached the age of 12 months because earlier introductions have been linked to IDA, particularly those occurring before six months.
