What are the iron-supplementing foods for babies?

How can you tell if your baby is iron deficient? How should babies supplement their iron deficiency? How important is iron to babies? ● What is the physiological effect of iron on babies? Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes and certain respiratory enzymes, and participates in the transport of oxygen in the body and the process of tissue respiration. Iron is related to the formation and maturation of red blood cells. 2/3 of the iron in the human body is found in red blood cells. ● What are the consequences of iron deficiency? People often associate iron deficiency and anemia with each other. In fact, iron deficiency is divided into three stages. The first stage is the iron reduction stage, and the second stage is the iron deficiency stage of erythropoiesis. Iron deficiency in these two stages does not actually lead to anemia. Only stage III iron deficiency anemia is anemia, a serious consequence of iron deficiency. When breastfed infants become iron deficient, hepatic iron stores are the first to decline, followed by iron in less preferential iron-using tissues such as skeletal muscle and the small intestine. As iron deficiency becomes more severe, cardiac iron stores also decrease, followed by a decrease in brain iron, and finally in red blood cells. In short, before the baby develops iron deficiency anemia, the baby has already experienced the first two stages of iron deficiency and has been affected in many ways, including the neurological development of the brain. Therefore, mothers must not think that iron deficiency only causes anemia. Before iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed, iron deficiency will have an impact on the baby\’s cognition, learning ability, behavioral and intellectual development, and this damage may continue. In childhood, it is an irreversible development process. Once iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed, the anemia must be corrected through timely iron supplementation. And continue taking it for 3-6 months after the hemoglobin returns to normal to increase iron reserves in the body. ● What are the diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency? Hemoglobin (Hb) is the most commonly used indicator for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia. According to the latest WHO anemia diagnostic criteria (sea level area), children aged 6 months to 6 years old are diagnosed with anemia when Hb <110g/L. Hemoglobin measured through finger blood can only be used as a screening test. If further diagnosis is required, venous blood must be taken for review. In addition, the detection of serum ferritin can reflect the iron reserves in the body. In addition, parents need to be reminded that the serum iron obtained from [Trace Element Testing] is not a basis for judging iron deficiency anemia and has no reference value. Common food sources of iron? Heme iron is the best source of iron for human body absorption and is mainly found in hemoglobin and myoglobin in meat and poultry. When the body is in an iron deficiency state, the absorption rate of heme iron can be as high as 40%. The best iron-supplementing foods for babies include: high-iron rice noodles, red meat such as beef, pork, mutton, blood products, animal liver, etc. The iron present in plant foods and dairy products is non-heme iron, which is susceptible to interference from other factors in the diet. Although the absorption and utilization rate is not high, the Chinese population usually consumes a larger amount of this type of food, which is also iron-rich. Important sources. Common foods include: soybeans, spinach, seaweed, black sesame seeds, cherries, lentils, fungus, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimps, white fungus, millet, etc. In addition, some nutrients can promote the absorption of iron. The most common one is vitamin C, which is found in large amounts in dark vegetables such as spinach and spinach.Lettuce, bean sprouts, rapeseed, etc., fresh dates, kiwi, lemon, strawberry, orange, etc. Give your baby iron supplements like this! In addition to simple and crude iron-fortified rice noodles, red meat and animal liver are the best food sources for iron supplementation. However, many babies are a little averse to red meat and animal liver. It is difficult to feed them and then spit them out, which really worries many mothers. In fact, red meat has thicker fiber, which can make it difficult for babies to chew and swallow if not handled properly. Pork liver has a natural fishy smell, and some babies are born not to like this taste. When making complementary foods for babies, the cooking wine commonly used to remove the fishy smell cannot be used. Therefore, it is especially important to choose ingredients that go with the pig liver to dilute the taste of the pig liver. important. Let’s take a look at 3 ways to supplement iron supplements. 1. Ingredients for spinach and pork liver porridge: 20g spinach, 10g pork liver, and 25g japonica rice. Steps: ● 1. Soak the pork liver for about 15 minutes in advance, then cut into thin slices and then rinse the blood on the surface; ● 2. Wash the spinach and blanch it, then remove it and cut it into small pieces for later use; ● 3. After cooking the porridge, blanch it Boil the watered spinach segments for 1 minute, then add the thinly sliced ​​pork liver and boil for 1 minute before serving. [Comments] Pork liver is one of the best sources of heme iron, and its iron content is much higher than that of red meat. However, be careful not to overdo it when consuming it. Excessive consumption of pork liver will lead to excessive intake of vitamin A. Spinach is a traditional iron-supplementing food, but it should be noted that the iron in it is non-heme iron, which has a low absorption and utilization rate. When eating spinach, you must remember to blanch the spinach first to remove oxalic acid that affects iron absorption. Spinach is an ingredient with a strong flavor among vegetables. Cooking porridge with pork liver can mask some of the fishy smell of pork liver, making it easier for babies to accept. 2. Ingredients for minced meat, mushroom and tofu soup: 10g white mushrooms, 5g fresh shiitake mushrooms, 10g minced meat, 20g lactone tofu, and 1g cooking oil. Steps: ● 1. Wash the white mushrooms and fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into cubes and set aside; ● 2. Stir the pork into minced meat, add a small amount of ginger water, mix well and set aside; ● 3. Add an appropriate amount of cooking oil to a non-stick pan, and add the minced pork. Stir-fry for a while, then add the diced mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until raw. Add the tofu and stir-fry until minced, add enough water to cover the ingredients, and simmer for 10 minutes; ● 4. Add an appropriate amount of water starch before serving, stir while adding to thicken the soup, and serve. [Comments] Mushrooms are very rich in flavor-producing amino acids and have their own umami taste; minced pork can also play a role in improving freshness. Therefore, even without adding salt, this soup is full of umami flavor. In addition, mushrooms contain a certain amount of non-heme iron, and minced pork can provide abundant heme iron. Eating the two together will double the iron supplement effect! For some babies who cannot chew and swallow pork well, minced pork is a good alternative. However, when buying minced pork, you should choose minced meat with more lean meat. Do not buy minced meat that is full of fat. Excessive fat intake will cause gastrointestinal discomfort in babies. Of course, the best way is to buy lean pork and grind it yourself at home. 3. Ingredients for beef and asparagus spiral pasta: small spiral pasta, tender asparagus heads, and beef tenderloin. Steps: ● 1. Soak spiral pasta in advance; ● 2. Cook beef tenderloin in a pressure cooker and cookCut the good beef tenderloin into small pieces or thin strips; ● 3. After the water is boiled, add a few drops of olive oil, then add the young asparagus heads, cook and cut into small cubes and set aside; ● 4. After the pasta is cooked, add the beef brisket Serve with shredded and diced asparagus. [Comments] For pasta, you can choose small spiral pasta. Babies under 1 year old can probably eat up to 10g of raw spiral pasta per meal. Soak the pasta for about 2 hours in advance. It will become softer after cooking and is suitable for infants and young children. In addition, be sure to buy young asparagus heads, or take the tender tips of asparagus. Adding olive oil to the water in which asparagus is cooked will make the cooked asparagus bright green. Asparagus has better nutritional content than common vegetables and is rich in dietary fiber, which helps babies have normal bowel movements. It is rich in vitamin C, and eating it with iron-rich beef improves its utilization. Beef tenderloin is the most tender part of beef and has less fat content. For babies with poor chewing ability, beef tenderloin is the most recommended part of beef.