Not the OP but copper is essential for iron and has effects on iron binding in excess or in deficiency.

I will also remind all those reading that the lab ranges on the lab results you get are only for the population average at the time. Thats why they change over years. Look at your most recent lab results and then 2-3 years back. The "normal" range is not the same. The range provided DOES NOT mean optimal. You are only being compared against those you who are also getting the same test in X period of time.

For example, in 2023 my ferritin was 30 with a normal range provided as 16-154. Compared to early 2025 ferritin 72 (thanks to iron infusion in late 2024) range of normal 12-122. Anything under 30 should basically get an iron infusion. I only got one in 2024 because I had a severe hemorrhage from childbirth. Interestingly enough, low ferritin and anemia are risk factors for hemorrhage.

OP may sound nutty to you but she isnt necessarily wrong. My baby had to have blood drawn for allergy testing and for iron. The first due to anaphalyxis, the second is part of the 12 mo well visit. Why couldnt they add trace mineral testing especially for cofactors? A blood draw at Childrens is not traumatic.

Anonymous wrote:Look at labCorp and Quest, both are happy
to take your money and draw blood for all kinds of a la carte services.

But you’d be better off finding a pediatrician you actually trust or you’re in for a long, painful, expensive , child raising experience. AND your kid will hate you as an adult when they find out you made them suffer for quackery (my husband’s college roomate has a mother who was deep into homeopathy. He got to take Zyrtec for a seasonal allergy for thr first tome at 18…)

+1. There's no issue with getting labs for infants and toddlers if you need them. I imagine lots of us have gotten blood draws for lead tests for kids that age. If you're having an issue it seems like there's more going on.

Anonymous wrote:This is a troll, right?

OP “does her own research”.

Anonymous wrote:This is a troll, right?

Obviously

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by "health optimization purposes?" What actions are you seeking to take after getting these test reults?

I want to make sure that the iodine, folate, copper, and zinc levels are within normal range. They are essential for brain development and deficiencies can cause permanent impairment if they are not addressed during key developmental windows hay happen in the first 12-18 months of life.

Are you living in rural Africa or in a war zone?

Please please please be a troll.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I already did genetic selection for IQ when I did IVF anyway, but I just want to make sure they are not missing any essential nutrients for brain development.

Smart. IVF babies tend to have lower IQs than naturally conceived kids, so you’re right to be vigilant.

That is due to parental age and the accumulation of de novo mutations with age. Also due to the fact that mothers with infertility issues are also more likely to give birth prematurely. It’s actually not casually related to the IVF procedure itself.

That's simply not true.

This is a troll, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by "health optimization purposes?" What actions are you seeking to take after getting these test reults?

I want to make sure that the iodine, folate, copper, and zinc levels are within normal range. They are essential for brain development and deficiencies can cause permanent impairment if they are not addressed during key developmental windows hay happen in the first 12-18 months of life.

What are you going to do if despite your efforts to build an "optimized baby" they end up still not being perfect?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I already did genetic selection for IQ when I did IVF anyway, but I just want to make sure they are not missing any essential nutrients for brain development.

Smart. IVF babies tend to have lower IQs than naturally conceived kids, so you’re right to be vigilant.

That is due to parental age and the accumulation of de novo mutations with age. Also due to the fact that mothers with infertility issues are also more likely to give birth prematurely. It’s actually not casually related to the IVF procedure itself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by "health optimization purposes?" What actions are you seeking to take after getting these test reults?

I want to make sure that the iodine, folate, copper, and zinc levels are within normal range. They are essential for brain development and deficiencies can cause permanent impairment if they are not addressed during key developmental windows hay happen in the first 12-18 months of life.

You need to speak to your OB about post partum anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:I already did genetic selection for IQ when I did IVF anyway, but I just want to make sure they are not missing any essential nutrients for brain development.

Smart. IVF babies tend to have lower IQs than naturally conceived kids, so you’re right to be vigilant.

I already did genetic selection for IQ when I did IVF anyway, but I just want to make sure they are not missing any essential nutrients for brain development.

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by "health optimization purposes?" What actions are you seeking to take after getting these test reults?

I want to make sure that the iodine, folate, copper, and zinc levels are within normal range. They are essential for brain development and deficiencies can cause permanent impairment if they are not addressed during key developmental windows hay happen in the first 12-18 months of life.