Why is iron-deficiency anemia uncommon during the first six months of life?

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blood disease Peripheral blood smear revealing histopathologic features indicative of a blast crisis in a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Blast crisis occurs when one-fifth to one-third of the cells in the blood or bone marrow are immature blood cells, or blast cells. This phase of CML is characterized by fever, weakness, and an enlarged spleen.

Iron-deficiency anemia is generally uncommon during the first six months of life because infants are typically born with sufficient iron stores accumulated during gestation to meet their physiological needs during this initial period of rapid growth.1

While iron-deficiency anemia occurs when the body's iron stores are depleted or dietary intake is insufficient to support the formation of hemoglobin, the iron reserves present at birth usually sustain an infant until they begin consuming iron-rich solid foods or supplements later in infancy.1