1 May 2026Oral drugs

Ferrous Salts Oral: Dosing, Duration, and Precautions

Ferrous salts guidance for prevention of iron deficiency and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia across neonatal, child, and adult ages.

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Source reviewed

source date listed on the source page

Guide category

Oral drugs

Safety boundary

Educational medicine information, not personal medical advice.

Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.

This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.

Therapeutic action

Antianaemia drug.

Indications

Prevention of iron-deficiency.
Treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia.

Forms and strengths

Doses are expressed as elemental iron.

140 mg/5 ml syrup of ferrous fumarate containing approximately 45 mg/5 ml of elemental iron.
200 mg ferrous fumarate or sulfate tablet containing approximately 65 mg of elemental iron.

Dose

Ferrous salts prevention and treatment dose by age and weight

Age	Weight	Prevention		Treatment
		45 mg/5 ml syrup	65 mg tablet	45 mg/5 ml syrup	65 mg tablet
< 1 month	< 4 kg	0.5 ml	-	0.5 ml x 2	-
1 month to < 1 year	4 to < 10 kg	1 ml	-	1.5 ml x 2	-
1 to < 6 years	10 to < 20 kg	2.5 ml	-	2.5 ml x 2	-
6 to < 12 years	20 to < 40 kg	5 ml	-	-	1 tab x 2
≥ 12 years and adult	≥ 40 kg	-	1 tab	-	1 tab x 2 or 3

Prevention of iron-deficiency

Neonate: 4.5 mg once daily.
Child 1 month to < 12 years: 1 to 2 mg/kg once daily, maximum 65 mg daily.
Child >= 12 years and adult: 65 mg once daily.

Treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia

Neonate: 1 to 2 mg/kg 2 times daily.
Child 1 month to < 6 years: 1.5 to 3 mg/kg 2 times daily.
Child 6 to < 12 years: 65 mg 2 times daily.
Child >= 12 years and adult: 65 mg 2 to 3 times daily.
< 1 month and < 4 kg: 0.5 ml daily for prevention or 0.5 ml 2 times daily for treatment.
1 month to < 1 year and 4 to < 10 kg: 1 ml daily for prevention or 1.5 ml 2 times daily for treatment.
1 to < 6 years and 10 to < 20 kg: 2.5 ml daily for prevention or 2.5 ml 2 times daily for treatment.
6 to < 12 years and 20 to < 40 kg: 5 ml daily for prevention or 1 tablet 2 times daily for treatment.
>= 12 years and adult, >= 40 kg: 1 tablet daily for prevention or 1 tablet 2 or 3 times daily for treatment.

Duration

Prevention: during the risk period such as pregnancy or malnutrition.
Treatment: 3 months.

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

Do not administer to patients with other forms of anaemia.
May cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, and black stools.
Do not exceed recommended doses in children because of overdose risk.
Do not give simultaneously with doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, dolutegravir, antacids, levodopa, or zinc sulfate; administer each drug at least 2 hours apart.
Administration with ascorbic acid increases iron absorption.
Rinse mouth or drink water after syrup administration because of the risk of tooth staining.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
To reduce gastrointestinal disturbances, take during meals and gradually increase dosage.

Source

MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)

This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.

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