Infant anemia. Causes and treatment
Our child has anemia when his body does not produce enough hemoglobin (present in red blood cells). In most cases, it is due to an iron deficit. But what are the causes of a child having low iron? Does it have to do with your? And what is the treatment you will have to follow? Here we give you all t
Our child has anemia when his body does not produce enough hemoglobin (present in red blood cells). In most cases, it is due to an iron deficit.
But what are the causes of a child having low iron? Does it have to do with your? And what is the treatment you will have to follow? Here we give you all the keys so that you learn to prevent this disease.
Causes of childhood anemia
When the child has low iron, it may be that his diet is not correct. In fact, this is the most common cause of childhood anemia worldwide. Maybe your diet does not include enough foods with large doses of iron, such as legumes, spicaca or red meat. But there are also other causes of iron deficiency, among which are:
- Your body is not able to absorb iron although it is consuming
- Rapid growth (especially in the first year of life), period in which the body needs a greater amount of iron
There are many misunderstandings about foods that provide iron. For example, cow's milk does not provide as much iron as many people think. Moreover, it can become a cause of childhood anemia.
Foods with iron to prevent childhood anemia
Undoubtedly, during the first months of life, the best food for our child is breast milk (minimum during the first 6 months). In addition to providing essential nutrients and defenses of the mother, we will be offering iron easier to absorb. If you can not feed the baby with breast milk, pediatricians recommend opting for formula-enriched milk.
Starting in the year, children can start drinking cow's milk, but there are other foods that provide much more iron in their diet. For example:
- Red meats (beef, rabbit, liver ...)
- Raisins
- Fish (like whiting)
- Legumes
- Crustaceans (mussels, clams ...)
- Vegetables and fruits like broccoli, spinach and kiwi
- egg yolk
Iron of animal origin is the best absorbed. And although it seems strange to us, there are spices that contain a lot of iron and instead are the forgotten ones when it comes to cooking for children. For example. the thyme, the dill, the cumin, the oregano and the laurel.
Treatment of anemia in children
The first thing the pediatrician will tell you is to change your diet and include more foods with a high iron content in your daily menu. It will also tell you to increase the dose of food with vitamin C, because this vitamin helps the body absorb iron better. You can also prescribe an iron supplement in the form of drops. Its taste is not very pleasant, so the pediatrician will tell you how to 'camouflage' it, for example, by means of natural juices with a high content of vitamin C.
