Table of Contents
- Stopping breastfeeding too early or using formula that isn't iron-fortified.
- Bottle-feeding too long. Bottle-fed babies who are 7 - 9 months old should be weaned from bottles and given sippy cups. By the age of 12 months, all children should be using a cup instead of a bottle.
- Toddlers’ preferences for iron-poor food. Parents should make sure that their children eat iron-rich foods such as beans, meat, fortified cereals, eggs, and green leafy vegetables
Premenopausal Women
Up to 10% or more of adolescent and adult women under age 49 years are iron deficient. Anemia among premenopausal women typically occurs from:
- Heavy menstruation for longer than 5 days
- Abnormal uterine bleeding, such as from fibroids
- Pregnancy (see below)
Older Adults
Causes of anemia in adults age 65 years and older include nutritional deficiencies, chronic inflammatory disease, and chronic renal disease.
Alcoholism
People with alcoholism are at risk for anemia both from internal bleeding as well as folate- and vitamin B deficiency-related anemias.
Iron-Poor Diets
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Review Date: 01/13/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
