Dear all,

I'm curious about american babies being routinely checked for iron levels in
blood.
I think I'm right that here in UK this is just not done at anytime during
routine childhood checks.   How many times does baby have to have this done?
And what is rationale for this?  They must have to take a finger prick, heel
prick for this?  I found it bad enough working myself up to have my boys
innoculated or going through the agonies of heel pricks for the youngest who
had high bilirubin, always had a breast ready though for immediate comfort.

The absorption of of iron is greatly increased by eating green leafy salads or
citrus fruits, fruit juices, potatoes, including instant potato at meal when
consuming iron rich foods.

Caffeine/Tannin in strong tea, coffee, chocolate and cola drinks interfere
with absorption of iron, avoid having these one hour before and one hour after
iron rich foods.
Iron rich foods hedgerow foods are parsley, watercress, chickweed, dandelion
leaves, comfrey and lightly cooked stinging nettle leaves.

General diet iron rich foods are all red meats,liver (not recommended whilst
pregnant), kidney, bread, fortified breakfast cereals, wholegrain cereals,
pulses, dried apricots, beef, molasses, leafy green vegetables, eggs, chicken,
tuna, sardines, raisins, sultanas.

All leafy green vegetables, almonds, peanuts, tomatoes, yeast and vegetable
extracts contain high levels of folic acid; all animal protein contain vitamin
B12.  Save your vegetable cooking water to add to soups and gravies to gain
folic acid that is lost from the cooking of the vegetables.

A couple of months back I read study on iron supplementation in adults and
higher incidence of bowel cancer.  Have no reference to this.
Kind regards to all Lacnetters
Helen M.Woodman, National Childbirth Trust Breastfeeding Counsellor, UK