Anemia, or anemia, is one of the most common he alth problems in babies. Treating anemia in infants is extremely important as it can slow down a baby's development. What are the causes and symptoms of anemia in newborns and infants?

Anemia in newborns and infantsdoes not necessarily mean that the baby is pale and apathetic. Initially, the only sign that your child has anemia may be a sign of poorer appetite and less weight gain. Only later do the more visible symptoms appear.

Anemia in newborns and infants: causes

The most common cause of anemia in toddlers isiron deficiency . Iron is necessary for the proper functioning of red blood cells, and more precisely: the red pigment they contain - hemoglobin. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, are vehicles for oxygen distributed throughout the body from the lungs. When there is a lack of iron, hemoglobin levels gradually decrease and the functioning of the body worsens. Tissues are hypoxic. As a result - without valuable fuel - they function worse. However, the body cannot produce iron on its own. He has to get them from the outside.

A newborn is born with a supply of iron - he gets it from his mother in the last trimester of pregnancy. The concentration of iron in the umbilical cord is quite high, so doctors wait a few moments before cutting the umbilical cord to provide the baby with an "iron dowry". Thanks to this, up to 50-100 milliliters of blood more goes into the child's bloodstream and the baby has a better start on the other side of the abdomen.

Anemia in infants - physiological anemia

In the following months of the baby's life, his iron supplies are gradually depleted. Therefore, usually between 3 and 6 months of age, infants develop the so-called physiological anemia. The term "anemia" is a bit exaggerated as it is a natural process that does not require treatment. However, it can easily get out of control, especially in naturally fed babies.

Why these children in particular? Because natural food contains a negligible amount of iron. Anemia is also favored by the fact that the child grows very intensively in the first year of life - it triples the birth weight and lengthens it by half. It's easier to imagine how muchthe child changes by comparing it with an adult: if a man of average height weighing about 70 kg grew equally fast, after a year he would have been over 200 kg and nearly 3 meters tall!

No wonder that there is a growing disproportion between rapid weight gain and too little iron in the diet. That is why it is so important to give products rich in iron: egg yolks and various types of meat in the second half of a child's life. The cause of iron deficiency anemia may also be its insufficient absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. The culprit of this situation is sometimes an allergy (e.g. to cow's milk protein, gluten) or diseases (e.g. celiac disease).

Anemia in premature babies

Since the baby stores iron at the end of pregnancy, premature babies are particularly at risk of anemia (their body has not had time to accumulate more of this element). Their iron stores are smaller in proportion to their body weight, and small reserves (if they have been accumulated) are quickly depleted.

Therefore, premature babies must receive preventive doses of iron. Severe maternal anemia also reduces the amount of iron transferred to the baby and contributes to the development of anemia in the baby early in infancy. This can be prevented. The expectant mother should increase the amount of iron-rich foods in her daily menu, and often take preparations containing this element.

Diminished iron reserves are also found in children with multiple pregnancies and babies born shortly after their older siblings (e.g., 11-13 months after a sister or brother), especially if the woman is pregnant with anemia.

Anemia in infants - symptoms

Anemia can be suspected when a little one eats less, grows slower or loses weight. That is why, at each visit, the doctor checks how the child is developing.

Pale mucosa is also a symptom of anemia. The baby is apathetic and susceptible to infections, which additionally aggravate iron loss (germs need iron and draw it from the baby's body). The doctor then orders blood tests. Dropping the hemoglobin level below 10.5-11 g / dl and reducing the number of red blood cells, the volume of which is also declining (MCV in morphology), is evidence of iron deficiency anemia.

Problem

Although textbook lists of anemia symptoms are impressively long, they do not appear all at once in one child. However, anxiety should arouse:

  • frequent infections
  • deterioration of appetite
  • growth slowdown
  • getting tired easily
  • pale skin, especially mucous membranes
  • trouble sleeping

Anemia in infants - treatment

When the doctor determines that your child is anemic, he will prescribe iron in syrup or drops (prescription). The baby needs to be on the drug for 2-3 months. Depending on the type of preparation, it may be necessary to administer additional vitamin C, which increases iron absorption. In some cases, your doctor may also recommend folate and vitamin B6. Parents are concerned that the iron will color the baby's teeth black. Not all drugs work like this. However, it is worth giving the child something to drink after the drug. The dark color of the baby's poo is also often disturbing. There is no reason to worry about it. This is a sign that your baby is getting iron. Occurring constipation will be alleviated by medications prescribed by a doctor, and in the case of babies who already receive non-dairy meals - changes in the diet, e.g. serving beetroots (in the 7th-8th month), raw apples (after the 4th month), avoiding rice porridge, juices and limiting the amount of boiled carrots in the menu.

Anemia in babies - facts and myths about diet

  • Older infants suffer less from anemia.

True.They are already getting iron-rich foods and more varied diets to help prevent anemia.

  • It doesn't matter what iron-rich foods your child gets.

Myth.Iron is better absorbed from food than from pharmacy preparations. In turn, iron is better absorbed from meat (pork, beef, poultry) and egg yolk than from vegetables. Iron can also be found in vegetables: parsley, broccoli, peppers, spinach, lettuce, beets, beans, peas. The source of iron is also groats: buckwheat, barley and oatmeal.

  • The absorption of iron is facilitated by vitamin C.

True.That's why it's best to serve meat with vegetables or juices. The following juices are recommended: blackcurrant (after the 9th month), oranges and strawberries (after the 1st birthday), because they contain large amounts of vitamin C. It is also worth serving sauerkraut with the meat (juice can be served after the 8th month, just cabbage) - on the 10th) or enrich the dish with parsley rich in this vitamin (around the 10th month).

  • Cow's milk is a better source of iron than modified or human milk.

Myth.The most iron is contained in formula-enriched milk, but this iron is not absorbed to the same extent as iron from natural food. However, breast milk contains little of this element. There is as much iron in cow's milk as in breast milk, but it is absorbed as much as possiblefive times worse. In addition, cow's milk is conducive to allergies, which can lead to a deficiency of this element. Therefore, it is better for your child not to give cow's milk until their second or even third birthday.

  • Regular black tea makes iron absorption difficult.

True.Milk and milk products and too abundant meals work similarly.

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Child's he alth