DALLAS, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A study of 1,641 U.S. toddlers found that 20 percent of overweight toddlers were iron-deficient, compared to 7 percent of normal-weight toddlers.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, also found 10 percent of the toddlers not in day care had iron deficiency, compared to about 5 percent of toddlers who were enrolled in day care who had iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency, a common cause of anemia, results in impaired bone marrow and muscle function and in early childhood it is associated with behavioral and cognitive delays, including impaired learning, decreased school achievement and lower scores on tests of mental and motor development, explained lead author Dr. Jane Brotanek, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Dietary practices leading to iron deficiency include exclusive breastfeeding beyond six months not supplemented by iron-rich foods or vitamins, early introduction of milk, prolonged bottle feeding and excessive consumption of cow’s milk, the study said.
Brotanek said that children not weaned from the bottle at an appropriate age may become accustomed to drinking excessive amounts of milk and juices, leading to less appetite for a more balanced and healthy diet containing iron, but why stay-at-home children have more iron deficiency is not understood and needs further research.
