Just a couple of thoughts on iron-fortified formulas.  I do not recall the
specific reference, but I recall recenlty reading a document that noted
that the so-called enriched with iron formulas may have extra iron added,
but the ability of the baby to use that iron is negligible--far less than
what the baby would derive from breastmilk.

My main point, however, relates to Jay Simpson's post about studies having
to do with greater gi distress when a baby receives iron-fortified
formulas.  I am sure all of us have at one time or another seen a baby who
reacted poorly to an excess of a vareity of things, iron being one of
them--whether because the mother was taking extra iron or because she was
giving the baby supplemental iron-foritified formula feeds as well as
breastfeeding.

However, in Michigan some years ago, the WIC offices throughout the state
gave out formula that had no label on it (this had to do with how they were
buying the formula). They used ALL iron-fortified formula, as it was
reuqired that they do so.  During the period when they were using the
unlabeled formula, no more complaints came in about iron problems than when
mothers knew their babies were getting iron fortified formulas and asked to
switch them off of it!

The WIC directors I spoke with about this (they told me the story) were
convinced that iron was not the problem that the mothers were reporting.
They contended it was something else; possibly babies who could not
tolerate being on cow-milk based formula rather than the fact that the
formula had iron in it.

What do you all think of this?



"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations."
Kathleen G. Auerbach,PhD, IBCLC (Ferndale, WA USA) [log in to unmask]
WEB PAGE: http://www.telcomplus.com/~kga/lactation.html
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