Marie,

The reference you were referring to that implicates iron overload as a risk
factor for coronary heart disease  is Salonen, Nyyssonen, Korpela et al.
(1992) High stored iron levels are associated with excess risk of myocardial
infarction in Eastern Finnish men, Circulation, 86:803-811. Does that sound
familiar?

The iron issue is very complex--guess that's why we are all still discussing
it.  Just as iron overload is detrimental, the effects of iron undernutrition
on brain growth and development in infancy are devasting!  The myelin sheath
of the brain and spinal cord are 80% lipid.  Lipid availability is dependent
upon iron nurtriture.  Some believe that the effects of iron undernutrition
during a critical period of brain growth are irreversible, with the earlier
in life it occurs, the more severe the consequences.

I and the MD's I work with in an academic setting do not recommend iron
supplementation to the full term infant who is exclusively breastfed until
solids are begun around six months because many studies have shown that
stores should be fine until then.  Since there is not any one good indicator
of iron deficiency (before it gets to anemia) and you have to look at several
parameters, it makes it very difficult to screen for when the iron stores of
the infant are depleted and anemia is impending and thus we feel more
comfortable with beginning supplementation at that routine time.  We want to
avoid anemia at all costs in infants.

Hope this helps!  I can provide references if you want to e-mail individually
and request them.

Becca