>Nature being perfect - that should make you wonder about the so-called need
>for iron in breastfed babies. This was obviously made up by some
>docs for reasons which I do not know (but can guess). How in the
>world did babies survive without supplemental iron? Come on. No
>FeSO4 for babies !!!
There are a number of reasons to supplement iron in newborns. (Any formulas
I've seen always included iron supplements.) If mom was deficient during
pregnancy, especially in the last month or so, or if the baby was premature,
are two of many reasons that an infant could require supplements.
Iron deficiency in infancy can lead to a variety of learning problems.
I suspect that diets complying with the USDA food guide just don't provide
as much iron as our ancestors got.
Best wishes,
Ron