Dietary recommendations to reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia infants and young children

Age group	Dietary recommendations	Comments
Infants	Encourage exclusive breastfeeding for 4 to 6 months.	Breast milk has low levels of iron (0.3 to 1 mg/L) but with high bioavailability
	For breastfed infants, introduce an iron supplement by 4 to 6 months of age for term infants or by 2 weeks of age for premature infants. Continue supplements until sufficient iron is provided through complementary foods.	Term infants – Elemental iron 1 mg/kg/day (maximum 15 mg) Premature infants – Elemental iron 2 mg/kg/day (maximum 15 mg)
	Infant formula (if used) should be iron fortified (>6.7 mg/L of iron).	Low-iron formulas should not be used
	Introduce iron-rich complementary foods between 4 and 6 months.	Iron sufficient for needs is provided by 2 servings/day of iron-fortified infant cereal Pureed meats are also good sources of iron Encourage 1 serving/day of foods rich in vitamin C (such as citrus fruits, cantaloupe, strawberries, tomatoes, and dark green vegetables) to enhance iron absorption
	Avoid unmodified (nonformula) cow's milk until 12 months of age.	Unmodified cow's milk increases intestinal blood loss in infants compared with formula feeding or breastfeeding
1 to 5 years	Limit cow's milk to no more than 20 oz (600 mL) daily.	Risk of iron deficiency increases in young children drinking more than 24 oz of milk/day
1 to 5 years	Encourage at least 3 servings/day of iron-rich foods.	Examples include fortified breakfast cereal, 3 oz of meat, or 4 oz of tofu

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