American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Practice Exam 2026 - Free ABFM Practice Questions and Study Guide

Exclusively breastfed infants typically have sufficient iron stores at birth, but these stores diminish over time. Breast milk provides many nutrients, but it contains low levels of iron. Around the age of 4 months, the iron stores that babies were born with start to deplete significantly, and since breast milk alone may not provide enough iron to meet the growing needs of the infant, this is the recommended age for initiating iron supplementation.

The need for iron becomes especially critical as iron is essential for cognitive development and overall growth. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that exclusively breastfed infants should begin iron supplementation at around 4 months of age to prevent iron deficiency anemia, a condition that can occur due to insufficient iron intake.

Thus, initiating iron supplementation at 4 months aligns with the guidelines aimed at ensuring adequate iron intake for exclusively breastfed infants as they grow.