Iron Fortified Baby Cereal? Where buy?

Hi all,

We've just moved to Sheffield with a 5 month old, and I've been searching for some Iron-Fortified Baby Cereal (Rice, Oats, etc.).

My local Tesco and Morrisons only have these Heniz options, that not only don't contain any iron, but are full of sugar, etc.

Any ideas on where I should be looking?

Thanks!

Why are you looking for cereal with iron in for a 5 month old baby?

If the health visitor has advised it then she should be able to tell you where to get it from.

Well, she is turning six months this week. Every book and/or pamphlet I receive from the Health Officials recommend that baby's first food be iron fortified as this is the time when Iron stores in breast milk become depleted . . .

Try the Organix range although they're not guaranteed to be free from sugar they are usually sweetened with fruit juice.

I think Boots own brand baby rice and porridge come in a sugar free version.

Although to be honest a tiny bit of sweetness doesn't hurt. Breastmilk is quite sweet and a totally plain cereal may be too much of a change.

Is this your first baby?

Don't worry too much about the sugar thing. My little girl is now 3 and I searched high and low for stuff without sugar. The Heinz stuff is packed with it. My daughter had the organic range of products and the fruit sugar content is much lower.

Hope this helps:)

I gave my little one porridge when he began on cereals and weetabix ....

Oh dear think I'm not good at this mothering stuff...

And I didn't use the baby rice cos' it seemed bland so he got pureed everything that you can puree.

If you are planning on weaning after 6 months any squidgy cereal should be OK - you dont need to spend a fortune on baby cereals. Wheatabix or Readybrek were wolfed down by mine quite happily. If you wean before 6 months though you should really be giving them something gluten free - so no wheat, oats etc - basically rice really.

I know that after six months the little stinkers are able to eat a variety of foods, including "adult" cereals like Wheatabix, etc.; but I still find it strange that it is so difficult to find iron-fortified baby cereals here. In many other countries, for example, it is difficult to find infant cereals without added iron. It is also weird that companies like Heinz whose infant cereals sold outside of the UK specifically advertise that they are "the only cereal that provides 100% of daily iron needs . . . and iron fortified cereals are recommended for infants up to 2 years of age"; but those same cereals sold in the UK don't have iron in them. I wonder if there are different laws or something.

Did you know that in the UK, Iron Deficiency is the single most common nutritional disorder for infants and children and that almost one-quarter (23%) of 8 month olds here would be classified as anemic? (see this site for a decent summary, or this one for a somewhat more jargony version.

It is for this reason -- and for the fact that sufficient iron has been shown to be essential for brain development, etc. -- that the UK Department of Health strongly recommends that starter weaning foods be iron-fortified.

Which is not to say, of course, that it isn't possible to get enough iron into kids without such cereal -- it is just more difficult. I suppose I'm just really lazy.

Just wondering - you mentioned that you believe that the iron levels in breastmilk falls after 6 months....I dont think that is actually true - I think it is that the baby has enough iron in its own stores up until 6 months. Your breastmilk still contains iron and is actually much better absorbed by the body that something fortified with iron - the iron in breastmilk is lower than in formula but the baby can absorb it much better. Could the anaemia seen in infants in this country be due to the poor takeup of breastfeeding here - just a thought (Ive seen reference to lower incidences of anemia in babies who have been breasfed for an 'extended' period of time)? This is a reasonable summary about breastmilk and the reasons for and against supplementing iron.

Are you fully breastfeeding at the moment (if so that is fantastic:D) Your baby will be getting good and well digested iron from your breastmilk - If you are not and are suplementing at all with formula your baby will be getting its milk fortified anyway. You can get iron in much better forms than just relying on fortified foods - the Kellymom link has a fantastic list of appropriate stuff including veg that you are likely to be trying your baby on (e.g. butternut squash etc). Jarred foods do seem to be iron fortified btw if you are worried.

Hi lisaH

You're absolutely right -- I misspoke. It is the infant's own iron stores that become depleted around 6 months, not the iron in breastmilk. What I was getting at was that this happens at around the same time that most infants start to be weaned off of breastmilk as they start eating solid foods. Kind of a double whammy in iron reduction.

The kellymom link is terrific -- thanks! One thing to note, though, is that she is really talking about iron-fortifiation during the first six months (not necessary at all), rather than during weaning and afterwards. There is tonnes of material to go through there!

Yes, we have been exclusively breastfeeding so far, and so, no, I'm not terribly concerned about the iron. I was really only looking for the iron-fortified cereal for those first few weeks of food before starting on veggies, etc. But, since we plan on breastfeeding along with the solid foods for a good while yet, I'm not going to get all worked up about it. As you note, the vegetables, etc., are of course a better way to get it anyway.

Your question about breastfeeding in the UK is a good one. I have no idea what the relative numbers are of breast vs formula here or elsewhere.

HI

Good luck with the weaning - its good fun. One thing I noticed is that the organic foods are not iron-fortified, preumably because then they wouldn't be 'natural'. I didn't actually think about it until comparing normal and organic weetabix one day. Could this be the problem??

Karen

Yes, we have been exclusively breastfeeding so far, and so, no, I'm not terribly concerned about the iron. I was really only looking for the iron-fortified cereal for those first few weeks of food before starting on veggies, etc. But, since we plan on breastfeeding along with the solid foods for a good while yet, I'm not going to get all worked up about it. As you note, the vegetables, etc., are of course a better way to get it anyway.

 

That s an absolutely fantastc plan - not unlke my own - stll feedng mne at 2yo (sorry problem wth 'eye' key)

My 13 mth old has been eating ReadyBrek for a few months - it's fortified and salt and sugar free. I sweeten it with fruit puree.