This posting isn't about choline, but rather on the general topic of how vitamins consumed by children may impact intelligence. A news item in Medscape.com last May seems to have gotten much less press than I would have thought. The news item claims:
I checked out the iron levels of all the major baby formulas on the market (Similac, Enfamil and Good Start hold about a 75% market share research suggests) - are all classified as "high iron" in accordance with the metrics of this research study. Each of these baby formulas has about 1.8 mg/5 ounce serving, or 12 mg/Liter of iron.
Makes you wonder if the US is systematically dumbing down its children with the popularity of high-iron formula in this country. Low-iron formulas are actually pretty hard to find. Similac does produce one called Similac 60/40 - so a formula like this might be be best until more research is done, and new formulations of the popular formulas are done.
Interestingly, in Europe - the iron levels of the baby formulas (called "Baby Milk" in the UK) is about half what it is in the USA baby formulas. Given the regulatory breakdowns in the US during the past few years (e.g. the failings of the SEC and government to limit the fraud and risk taking in the financial markets) I don't have much faith that the FDA has done even a passable job during the past 8 years of deregulation. And we wonder why US children are doing so poorly in schools...
Given this bit of news - I've researched the available UK formulas - and the top baby formulas there (SMA Gold, Cow and Gate, and Aptamil ) all have around 5.3 mg/ Liter of Iron - compared to the US average of about 12 mg / liter. Note: on the US formula product packaging the iron level is identified as 1.8 mg/5 ounce serving (or 100 calories) - but to get the per Liter total - you need to multiply the 1.8 grams by 6.8 (there are 33 ounces in a liter, and so you multiply the 5 ounce measure by 6.8 to get the total of 12 mg in 33 ounce, or 1 liter).
I am now ordering a sample of these UK formulas because my wife's breast milk is decreasing since returning to work - and we need to start using formula. I think I'll try this web site: British Supermarket Worldwide.
Related Reading:
Iron Supplements Might Harm Infants Who Have Enough, Study Suggests (Science Daily)
Read the full news article on Medscape: Neurodevelopmental
Delays Associated With Iron-Fortified Formula for Healthy Infants (May, 2008)
"Healthy, well-nourished children fed iron-fortified formula as infants scored an average of 11 points lower on IQ tests at 10 years of age than similar children fed low-iron formula, investigators announced here at PAS 2008, the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting."
I checked out the iron levels of all the major baby formulas on the market (Similac, Enfamil and Good Start hold about a 75% market share research suggests) - are all classified as "high iron" in accordance with the metrics of this research study. Each of these baby formulas has about 1.8 mg/5 ounce serving, or 12 mg/Liter of iron.
Makes you wonder if the US is systematically dumbing down its children with the popularity of high-iron formula in this country. Low-iron formulas are actually pretty hard to find. Similac does produce one called Similac 60/40 - so a formula like this might be be best until more research is done, and new formulations of the popular formulas are done.
Interestingly, in Europe - the iron levels of the baby formulas (called "Baby Milk" in the UK) is about half what it is in the USA baby formulas. Given the regulatory breakdowns in the US during the past few years (e.g. the failings of the SEC and government to limit the fraud and risk taking in the financial markets) I don't have much faith that the FDA has done even a passable job during the past 8 years of deregulation. And we wonder why US children are doing so poorly in schools...
Given this bit of news - I've researched the available UK formulas - and the top baby formulas there (SMA Gold, Cow and Gate, and Aptamil ) all have around 5.3 mg/ Liter of Iron - compared to the US average of about 12 mg / liter. Note: on the US formula product packaging the iron level is identified as 1.8 mg/5 ounce serving (or 100 calories) - but to get the per Liter total - you need to multiply the 1.8 grams by 6.8 (there are 33 ounces in a liter, and so you multiply the 5 ounce measure by 6.8 to get the total of 12 mg in 33 ounce, or 1 liter).
I am now ordering a sample of these UK formulas because my wife's breast milk is decreasing since returning to work - and we need to start using formula. I think I'll try this web site: British Supermarket Worldwide.
Related Reading:
