The most common cause of anemia among infants and young children is iron deficiency, caused by a lack of iron in the child’s diet. (The body needs iron to produce hemoglobin to carry oxygen in the blood.) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends testing only for babies and children considered to be at high risk for iron deficiency.

Again, you should be aware that some school and child-care programs might require a test for anemia, even for children at low risk.

Guidelines for Anemia Screening

• Test (at 9 to 12 months, 6 months later, then annually from ages two to five years) all children in high-risk categories (such as children from low-income families, migrant children, and recently arrived refugees).
• Test (at 9 to 12 months and 6 months later) these children:
• Premature or low-birthweight infants
• Infants fed a non-iron-fortified formula for more than 2 months
• Infants fed cow’s milk before age 12 months
• Breast-fed infants who didn’t receive iron-containing foods after age 6 months
• Children who drink more than 24 ounces of cow’s milk daily
• Children who have certain special health care needs as determined by a doctor