I'm doing some exploration of iron levels in mothers. I'm trying to understand the Australian Red Cross policy which does not allow breastfeeding mother to donate but does allow non-lactating mothers to donate provided they are 9 months post-partum. The reason given is that breastmilk contains "lots" of iron. However, I suspect that non-lactating mothers could in fact be at greater risk of low iron levels because of the premature return of menses. A search turned up an article by Ted Greiner suggesting that this is the case and with some numbers. However, I have not been able to locate research that has actually looked at iron levels in lactating and non-lactating postpartum women. Can anyone help me out?
Karleen Gribble
Australia

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