Iron deficiency in children is common which impacts children’s growth and development so it is vital to address the issue.
Lack of iron significantly impacts children’s daily life and the most common form of anemia which includes:
- Weakness and tiredness without doing any work.
- not proper mental growth leads to poor mental health resultin affect learning, thinking, and behaviour.
- weak immune system causes children to be more at risk of illness.
- low energy level
It overall impacts children’s lives through undeveloped brain not even for a certain time but for a life time.
Iron plays a vital role in child growth, where Iron carries oxygen to the cells, which is vital for energy, and mental and physical growth.
So give your children iron-rich food like eggs, tofu, beans, chicken, oatmeal, peas, green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, etc.
Overall, Iron is vital for child’s for growth, which makes the immunity develops the brain and helps in overall growth.
Vitamin C helps the body to better absorb iron, Vitamin C foods are amla, oranges and tomatoes (sour foods).
Reasons for Iron deficiency in children
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There are many reasons for iron deficiency in children which include:
Insufficient Iron Intake
One of the common reasons for children where child doesn’t like vegetables, beans, milk, it may be due to taste, smell, and texture.
So it is vital to teach your child why vitamins and minerals are important to the body which will encourage them to consume a well-balanced diet.
Iron Malabsorption
Even after consuming iron-rich foods, children are also diagnosed with iron deficiency due to not proper iron absorption.
Stomach Issue
Any stomach issue or intestine disorder may hinder iron and iron absorption.
Moreover, infection in certain stomach parts can impact the iron level.
Genetics
Iron deficiency from mother to infant can become a chronic iron issue or stay lifelong.
So during the pregnancy mother should consume all food and vegetables which reduces the risk further.
Other Factors
Some other factors contribute to iron deficiency in children such as:
- Not doing any type of physical activity
- weak immunity
- blood loss any blood disorder
- obesity
Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency in Children
Remember mild iron deficiency is not allied with anemia and leads to tiredness. But in severe case, it shows symptoms such as:
- Fatigue and weakness
- pale skin
- irritable
- difficulty in focus
- pica (where children crave non-food things like dirt, paper, and ice)
- feeling low
- slow growth in children
- mood and behaviour issues that impact children’s school performance
- restless leg syndrome (RLS)
- muscle pain
So make sure that you add all vital nutrients in your baby bowl for proper growth.
How Doctor Diagnose It?
Iron deficiency can interact with other conditions which make it hard to diagnose.
Regular check-ups help in finding any illness before it becomes serious.
Doctors perform diagnoses in several ways:
- Looking for your symptoms
- blood test (which majors your blood level, RBC, WBC, and platelets)
- ferritin test (showing how empty and full your store of Iron is)
- peripheral smear (check RBC, WBC, and platelets under super microscope)
- hemoglobin test (happened to check it is anemia or thalassemia)
A study showed that ferritin (how much iron is in the body) is the most trusted test in comparison to normal tests for ID.
A stool test may also be performed if there is any issue.
Treatment of ID in children
Its advice to give foods rich in iron, like green veggies, red fruits, and vegetables, oats, ragi, jaggery (basically grown in colour)
If it is not resolved with dietary change then the doctor may suggest medicine or supplements.
Doctors can also give oral supplement which are recommended for 3 months.
For better absorption of iron add vitamin C (sour food like orange, tomato, aml,etc) foods in children diet. and should not taken with milk.
Consult to the doctor before taking any medicine or supplement. But some side effects of iron supplements are also seen such as:
- Nausea
- stomach discomfort
- constipation
- black poop
Prevention Tips
Here are some keys that prevent your children from ID which include:
- Breastfeeding: If breastfeeding continues for more than 6 to 12 months then the mother should introduce the children to iron-rich food.
- Iron-fortified formula: A baby formula that contains iron to prevent IDA.
- Supplement: The doctor may suggest iron supplements
- Iron-rich food: One of the best ways to increase iron in the body like green vegetables, beans, chicken, eggs, etc
- Limit milk: Avoid excessive milk intake
- Add vitamin C to diet: Vitamin C food for better absorption in the body like sour foods.
- Regular check-up: Regular check-ups or early diagnoses can make treatment easy,
Down Line
Iron deficiency in children is common due to less food intake, proper iron absorption, stomach issues, and medical issues.
Consuming rich iron food like eggs, green and grown food like spinach, kale, whole grain, oats, chicken, beans, and more.
Before becomes it severe make sure consult to a doctor, who will recommend supplements.