BabySwede LLC, of Cleveland, Ohio, in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is voluntarily recalling their BABYBJÖRN Feeding Spoons. After the spoons have been used for a while, the soft plastic tip can loosen and break off. This poses a choking hazard. Although no incidents have been reported in the U.S., BabySwede has received 11 reports of the problem in other countries. The spoons were sold in packages of two under the brand name BABYBJÖRN. They are about 6.5 inches long and are either blue and red or green and yellow. They were sold through specialty kids' stores, catalogs, and web sites from January 2001 through November of this year, for about $9 Stop using the spoons immediately and contact BabySwede for a refund or replacement. For more information, contact BabySwede LLC toll-free at (866) 424-0200 anytime or visit the firm's. Website

In the past month, we have received many questions on how to enrich your baby's diet with more iron.

Let’s go through why iron is an important part of your baby's daily diet.

Iron is needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body. It also plays an important role in fighting infections, brain development and growth. Children who do not eat enough iron containing foods may become tired; faint and pale; uninterested in play; may complain of headaches and often have low appetites.

Normal levels of iron for children between the ages of six months and nine years range from 10.5 and 14 mg/dl, with the average being 12mg. (Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, Behrman, Kliegman and Arvin, 1996).

Toddlers require approximately 10mg of iron each day. Iron levels in mothers' milk are reported to be in the range of .3 mg. to .9 mg. per liter of milk consumed (Picciano and Guthrie, 1976; Siimes et al., 1979).

Though mothers' milk does contain iron, approximately 50% of its iron is absorbed; compared to only a 7% absorption from formula, and a 4% absorption from infant cereals (Dallman 1986).

Animal foods, like red meat, fish and poultry, are also excellent sources of iron because they are most easily absorbed by the body.

Iron from other sources are not as easily absorbed. The body retains only about 5% of the iron from non-animal sources.

Here are some tips to help your baby's iron intake:

• Adding a hard boiled egg yolk to your baby’s meal is a good way to add iron in their diet.
• Serve an animal source of iron along with a non- animal source together in the same meal. (For example, serve chili, which contains both beef and beans and vitamin C rich peppers and tomatoes.) This type of combination will significantly increase the absorption from the non-animal source.
• Certain vegetables like beans, dark and leafy greens as well as food rich in vitamin C can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron by 3 times
• It is harder for the body to absorb the nonheme iron that is found in fruits, vegetables, and grains, than the heme iron that is found in animal foods, including red meats, poultry, and fish

• Beef or chicken liver 1 oz. 2.5 mg
• Beef 2 slices 3.6 mg
• Lamb 2 slices 3 mg
• Pork 1 chop 1.8 mg
• Egg 1 0.9mg
• Chicken 2 slices 0.8mg

• Whole grain bread 2slices 1.4 mg
• Baked beans 1/2 cup 2.0 mg
• Branflakes 2/3 cup 5.0 mg
• Lentils/soy beans/red kidney beans 1/2 cup 2.2 mg
• Spinach 1/2 cup 2.2 mg
• Broccoli 2/3 cup 1.0 mg
• Green peas 1/2 cup 1.2 mg
• Baked potato with skin 1 2.75mg
• Sesame seed paste (tahini) 1 tbsp 2.1 mg
• Dried apricots 10 halves 2.2 mg

• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups of small broccoli floret, steamed cooled and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 5 large eggs (egg yolks for babies under 1 year)
• 1 cup of milk

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and leek until softened. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine broccoli, cheese, leek and onion in a buttered 9 inch glass pie plate.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk and pour into the pie plate (salt/pepper optional depending on your child’s age).
4. Bake until the eggs are set and the top is lightly browned, about 50 min.
5. Cool before slicing and serving.