Baby food and iron

Question
My baby girl is 5 months old. I want to make her food myself, however I am aware of that I may need to add iron to her foods before she starts to eat iron rich foods. I have a few questions:

-What foods are good sources of Iron?

-How much iron does a baby need?

-I will start by giving her rice cereal once a day until she gets used to it. I have bough 揊errous Sulfate?揙ral Liquid Solution?30mg/mL. How much should I add to her rice cereal and how should I distribute this when she starts having more than one meal a day?

-Should I continue to add iron to her diet, when I start giving her other foods, like pumpkin, potato, apple, banana and other fruits and vegetables?

-Should I continue to add iron to her diet when I start giving her meats?

-How big meals should she eat, before introducing more than one meal a day?

Thank you for answering these questions.

Regards,

Vaarin Eddy
(Australia)


Answer
Vaarin,
I don't specialize in child nutrition and these types of questions should really be addressed to your baby's pediatrician.  You should never start making your own baby food without FIRST speaking with your pediatrician! Most doctors recommend breasfeeding or formula until at least 6 months of age.  After that the first recommended solid food is iron-fortified baby cereal.
In the USA, the recommended daily intake (DRI) of iron for infants aged 0-6 months is 0.27mg (very small) and this should be taken care of through formula or breastmilk.  From 7-12 months it jumps to 11 milligrams a day. For children aged 1 to 3 years of age, the RDI is 7 mg.  
DO NOT ADD iron too the cereal or to other foods until you ask your pediatrician about it!!  You CAN overdo it.
You can find some more information here: http://www.babycenter.com/baby/babyfeeding/index BUT do not substitute it for speaking with your baby's doctor.  That is extremely important!  You need step by step instructions from him or her on the correct steps to take for YOUR little one.
Kim Tessmer, RD LD
www.Nutrifocus.net

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