You may not know: Children are iron deficient even though they eat well!
Did you know: Iron deficiency in children still occurs even when they eat enough meat, fish, and green vegetables? Did you know that not having enough iron will cause many serious problems in children's development? Don't miss this article if you really care about your children's health!
I. What health problems will iron deficiency cause in children?
According to experts, iron deficiency in children will cause a number of problems in their physical and mental development, specifically:
- Body development is slow.
- Cognitive impairment
- Causes the behavioral disorder “pica”
If not treated promptly, it can cause mental and motor disorders, and the child will not develop normally.
II. What are the signs that a child is iron deficient?
So how can parents detect iron deficiency in their children? What are the signs that your child is experiencing this condition? We have consulted experts and compiled some of the following signs:
About external manifestations
The most obvious sign that a child is iron deficient is pale and yellow. This can be seen most clearly in the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, ear area, throat mucosa, conjunctiva, and pale eyes.
Signs of iron deficiency in children in daily activities
In case of iron deficiency, children will show some "abnormal" symptoms in daily activities such as:
→ Slow running, tired, lack of concentration, sleepy, less playful
→ Frequent dizziness, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath when running or exercising
→ Children are susceptible to infectious diseases.
→ When studying, I often have poor concentration, poor memory, and get irritable.
In particular, children show some "strange signs" such as: eating strange things, dirt, clay, paint..., not being able to control their actions - that is a sign that the child has "pica syndrome".
III. 3 cases of children at high risk of iron deficiency
Is your child at risk of iron deficiency? What characteristics of children increase the risk of iron deficiency? Here are some comments from experts: The following 3 cases of children are at high risk of iron deficiency:
Premature and low birth weight babies
Right from the womb, babies are supplemented with iron thanks to the mother's daily diet. This amount of iron is enough for the baby until 6 months of age. However, for babies born prematurely or with a birth weight below the standard, this amount of iron is only enough until 2 months of age. Therefore, these are the "subjects" with a higher risk of iron deficiency.
Drink large amounts of cow's milk
Most mothers do not know that: Cow's milk has VERY LITTLE iron, and it even "causes" the body to absorb iron from other food sources. Cow's milk also causes stomach irritation in children.
→ Children who are weaned early (before 1 year of age) and use cow's milk instead of breast milk early are at higher risk of iron deficiency.
Low iron diet
Even if parents provide a menu full of vegetables, meat, fish, but do not know how to balance the amount of nutrients, iron, etc., children can still be iron deficient. According to research: On average, the body only absorbs about 1mg of iron out of a total of 10-20mg of iron consumed.
If your child is in one of the above cases, parents should not forget to balance the amount of nutrients taken into the child's body every day.
IV. How to treat and prevent iron deficiency in children?
3 ways to help prevent iron deficiency in children
Parents, don't forget to note down the 3 ways to prevent iron deficiency in children below!
→ Breastfeed your baby regularly until at least the end of 1 year.
→ Provide a balanced diet: add some iron-rich vegetables and fruits such as cereals, dark green vegetables, chicken, fish, red meat, beans.
→ Supplementing with vitamin C helps children absorb iron better. For young children, we recommend that you use vitamin C from natural foods such as tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, broccoli, potatoes, etc.
Iron deficiency in children – How to treat?
For children with obvious signs of iron deficiency, the most important thing to do today is to supplement iron directly with tablets. Dosage is approximately:
- Children about 7-12 months: 11mg/day
- 1-3 years old: 7mg/day
- 4-8 years old: 10mg/day
- 9-13 years old: 8mg/day
- 14-18 years old: 15mg/day (girls) and 11mg/day (boys)
Above is complete information about iron deficiency in children. Parents need to pay attention to ensure their children have the best health!
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