Chicago – Pudgy toddlers have an alarmingly high rate of iron deficiency, and Hispanic youngsters are more affected than other groups, a new study finds.
The study is the first to discover a link between obesity and low iron levels in preschoolers. Iron deficiency can cause mental and behavioral delays, so the findings underscore the importance of healthy eating habits in children ages 1 to 3.
The researchers found that 20 percent of obese toddlers have iron deficiency, compared with 7 percent of normal-weight toddlers. Lack of iron reduces the amount of oxygen carried through the body by the blood and can cause anemia.
Experts blamed parents who let toddlers drink cow’s milk and juice from a bottle, instead of introducing iron-rich foods such as meat, beans, eggs, spinach and fortified breads.
Toddlers fed from bottles tend to drink too much milk and juice, which are low in iron, and don’t get enough solid food, said study co-author Dr. Jane Brotanek of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
The researchers also found that children who attend day- care centers are about 50 percent less likely to have iron deficiency. Day-care providers may pay more attention to nutrition, Brotanek speculated.
Hispanic toddlers were more likely than whites and blacks to be obese and not in day care, she said. Twelve percent of Hispanic toddlers were iron-deficient, compared with 6 percent of white kids and 6 percent of black kids.
