Nursing mothers are sometimes advised to give their babies iron supplements. According to La Leche League, the world's foremost authority on breastfeeding, a healthy, full-term baby usually does not need additional iron until about the middle of the first year when she starts solids. In fact, the iron in breastmilk is better absorbed by your baby than is the iron in cow's milk or iron-fortified formula. Breastmilk of vegetarian mothers has also been found to be lower in environmental contaminants. Breastfeeding is recommended for at least one year.

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