We have a use for low iron formulas in the NICU. When a baby needs a
supplement (mom is recuperating from a hard delivery, baby has low blood
sugar or another medically indicated reason) and mom plans to breastfeed,
then rather than use glucose water (which is empty calories and can set up a
roller coaster of glucose readings, or using soy formula and setting the
baby on the road to diabetes) we have found that the lesser of all evils is
low iron formulas. Iron fortified formulas can mess up a baby's gut mucosa
and he would not then be able to utilize the stores of iron in his mom's
breastmilk.I hope this makes sense. I just got home from a 12 hour night
shift. Yawn.