How much milo for 18mo

[Merla]

Also make sure he is getting enough vitamin C, as you need vit C to be able to absorb iron.

I wouldn't be giving him milo at all TBH. Spinach, spiralina/liquid chlorophyll, red meat, pumpkin seeds, and other nuts and seeds would all be much better alternatives, with no sugar and most likely a lot more absorbable iron.

[HeyMissA]

I agree, i'd be looking at other options than just milo to increase iron levels.

Mix farex in with breakfast or any mashed/pureed vegies
add spinach with other vegies
increase amount of red meat
consider some beans (kideny or other)

[Misschief]

Have you tried spiralina? Its a seaweed extract you can mix with orange juice.

No I'll have a look at the health store. I just got a tip about Chia seeds. It seems you can put that over cereal and other foods.....

I'd be worried about the sugar content if you gave him two cups of Milo per day. And yes as you said it is with milk, which lessens absorption of the iron.
I will probably get shot down for this but my 17 month old can handle (and LOVES) nuts. I make sure I cut them up so he won't choke on them and we have no history of allergy, so it's a possibility for adding extra iron.
I would be looking at more food related ways of getting him the extra iron.
Hopefully others have more ideas for you.

We have seen a dietitian 2 months ago and she said instead of nuts, to buy a jar of almond/macadamia spread. Its like peanutbutter but with no additives whatsoever. I bought a small jar for $6,50 at Woolies
He finished that within 2 weeks I cant afford to keep buying that stuff lol.
She did say that his diet is sufficient for his iron intake, so we're a bit mystified about how his levels became so horribly low.....

How about to some spinach into different things you are cooking like if you make a stew or pasta or whatever. That should help more than milo. I'd be worried about the sugar levels in milo or any of the cereals/bars and things.

I have been told by the pead and the dietitian that you will need to eat 2 kilo's of spinach to enough iron for 1 day. They both said that 1 small steak has the same amount of iron as 1-2kg of spinach. Go figure

My ds was iron defiicient & anaemic at 12 months of age and went onto supplements for 3 months. His paed recommended that we use formula (with added iron) instead of cows milk until he was 2 years of age. You'll find some baby cereals & foods (in the baby food section) have added iron too. But my ds never really had a low iron after he got that initial 3 months of treatment.

Yeah I asked if we could try formula, but because he's been off formula for more than 6 months, they said it would be no use to change him over now

Also make sure he is getting enough vitamin C, as you need vit C to be able to absorb iron.

I wouldn't be giving him milo at all TBH. Spinach, spiralina/liquid chlorophyll, red meat, pumpkin seeds, and other nuts and seeds would all be much better alternatives, with no sugar and most likely a lot more absorbable iron.

Yeah I have been giving his iron supplement with 2 pieces of mashed fruit. He wont take it any other way. So every morning he gets 1 banana and 1 apple grated and mashed up with his iron.


I am going to have a look at those Chia seeds and also the Spirulina. I don't put any extra sugar in his Milo, as I know it has plenty of it's own already.
He also gets 2-3 times a week red meat. I give him twice a week baked beans with eggs for dinner or for lunch. So perhaps with that Chia seeds and Spirulina, this should be enough to maintain his levels.
Though the dietitian asked me to keep a diary for 2 weeks and write down everything he ate and drank during that period. She then had a look at the diary and said his intake should be sufficient. So perhaps there's something else going on. He's been tested for Crohn's and Coeliacs disease and both tests came back negative.
If his levels drop again in the next 3 months, the pead will have to get a surgeon to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy to see if there's anything in his digestive tract that prevents iron from being absorbed,

[shinebrite]

We have seen a dietitian 2 months ago and she said instead of nuts, to buy a jar of almond/macadamia spread. Its like peanutbutter but with no additives whatsoever. I bought a small jar for $6,50 at Woolies
He finished that within 2 weeks I cant afford to keep buying that stuff lol.

It's cheaper and tastier if you make it yourself! My suggestion would be to have a nice long google of raw foods. You'll find cooking things take a lot of enzymes and much needed vitamins out of the foods your wanting iron from. SO many things have iron in them even a sweet beetroot juice has LOADS of folate and iron, much better than a sugary Milo! Spirulina is great too!

[Me&MrMagoo]

Ds has severe iron deficiency and anaemia which has caused a heart murmur ...

We give him:

Meats
Baked beans
Spinach
Lentils

You can also use floradix which is a natural iron supplement you can get from health food stores and pharmacies ... It's made from natural ingredients such as veggies etc ...


* end of transmission *

[share a book]

It still can't hurt to let him have spinach as well as other forms of iron. Not to say he has to have a heap of it I mean put it in meals then he can have other forms of iron as well. It really can't hurt him to have spinach at all!

[lulululu]

What about spatone? It's just iron-rich water. You can add it to any drink (or probably many foods). I was very low after post partum haemorrhage and docs said it would take months of tablets to get my levels up. Spatone had my levels normal within weeks.

[Merla]

Banana and apple aren't vitamin C rich food though, so wouldn't be helping the iron absorption.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/ar.../vitamin-C.php

Kiwi fruit, strawberries, citrus fruits, papaya, and guavas are all vitamin C rich fruits (and also all high in salicylates which is a PITA for us *sigh*).

[Just*Ace]

Sorry to go slightly off topic but for people whose kids have been diagnosed with low iron, what was the reason it was tested? Just concerned that my DD my have low iron as I was anaemic while pregnant and dont each much iron now and she is breastfed. She is 1 now but not a big fan of solids so dont know whether I should be worried about iron levels.

[millsmum]

What about the toddler karicare or s26 toddler formula, and as for milo i make mine like people make coffee- made with hot water and then milk so it still taste like a warm milky milo.