Giving children who have high haemoglobin levels baby food fortified with iron could adversely affect their development.
The report, published in the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, measured IQ, spatial memory, arithmetic achievement, visual-motor integration, visual perception, and motor functioning of children 10 years after being fed low iron or iron fortified baby formula. Scoring of spatial memory and visual-motor integration were significantly lower in children fed the iron fortified formula.
The authors conclude that further study is required into the optimal amounts of iron in baby formula.
The paper has been published on the Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med website.