Anemia and Iron

Most people get enough iron through a regular healthy diet that has iron-rich foods. But some groups of people don't get enough iron:

• teenage girls/women of childbearing age (who have heavy menstrual losses, who have had more than one child, or use an intrauterine device [IUD])
• older infants and toddlers
• pregnant women

These groups of people should be screened periodically for iron deficiency. If the tests show that the body isn't getting enough iron, iron supplements may be prescribed. Many health care providers prescribe iron supplements during pregnancy because many pregnant women don't get enough. They can help when diet alone can't restore the iron level back to normal. Talk with your HCP to find out if you are getting enough iron through your diet or if you or your child needs to be taking iron supplements. Please see to the chart below to see how many milligrams (mg) of iron you should take every day