Iron plays a crucial role in your child’s development. It helps our little learning machines concentrate and is essential for growing brains. But as every parent who has scraped rejected dinners off the floor knows, kids don’t understand what’s good for them! Just getting a decent meal into them let alone a balanced one can be a challenge.

For this reason, toddlers and preschoolers are especially susceptible to iron deficiency, and it can be caused by a number of factors. For example, if they drink lots of milk; unlike breast milk or formula, regular cow’s milk contains no iron at all. Excessive milk intake can displace iron-rich foods in a toddler’s already finicky diet, and high intakes of calcium in milk can also interfere with the absorption of iron from the foods they do not eat.

Now, most people know that red meat is among the best sources of dietary iron out there; and certainly meatballs, bolognese sauce, and burgers feature prominently in the diets of most kids. Then there are the super-greens and vegetables that pack an iron-rich punch – but then these can sometimes be difficult to get your child to eat, and often are the ones that end up in the bin.

One trick many parents use to help their children reach their appropriate iron intake, is to use FAB IRON.

FAB IRON is formulated to assist when children aren’t getting enough iron in their diet, and gives children all the benefits of iron without the ‘iron’ taste. It contains an organic form of iron that’s gentle on their tummy, and has a natural fruity flavour from a blend of apple, beetroot and cherry juices.

So, how do I know my child has an iron deficiency?

The symptoms of iron deficiency are very vague and nonspecific. Sleeping more than usual, pale color of the lips and eyes, and decreased exercise tolerance are the symptoms that usually occur with severe anemia. Mild iron deficiency is likely to have no symptoms, but may impact subsequent brain development if ongoing.

Other symptoms include:

Extreme fatigue
Pale skin
Weakness
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Cold hands and feet
Irritability
Inflammation or soreness of tongue
Brittle nails

Some of these symptoms may be difficult to detect “” especially in younger children who haven’t yet begun to talk. However, even mild manifestations of these symptoms can indicate an iron deficiency. The severity of the symptoms will increase if the child goes untreated, which is why a supplement is sometimes the best answer.

Reasons why we chose FAB IRON for our kids’ iron deficiency:

Gentle on the tummy
Contains an organic liquid form of iron that is gentle on the tummy
Easy to absorb
Contains Vitamin C to assist with maximum iron absorption.
Great tasting
Natural fruity flavour from a blend of apple, beetroot and cherry juices.
Preservative free, alcohol free and does not contain artificial colours or sweetener.

For more information, visit www.fabiron.com.au/children