Recall that hemoglobin - a special protein that contributes to the supply of body tissues with oxygen, obtained from the lungs through the blood. He is also responsible for removing carbon dioxide from the cells back into the lungs. It is hemoglobin that stains the blood red.
Low level of hemoglobin prevents the necessary amount of oxygen from entering the cells of the body, which slows down their development and lowers the efficiency of the organs as a whole. The body becomes easily vulnerable to infections and various diseases. And the consequences of low hemoglobin in a child can be expressed in slowing down the intellectual and psychomotor development, which is very important for a growing baby.
Reduced hemoglobin in a child is difficult to identify immediately. Usual drowsiness, loss of appetite, high fatigue seem to be temporary features of children and do not initially attract much attention. And at this time the baby does not digest the microelements he needs, and the metabolism is disturbed.
So, what are the main signs of low hemoglobin in a child?
- weakness;
- pale skin color;
- poor appetite;
- dizziness;
- termination of weight gain and growth;
- brittle hair, nails, dry skin;
- fast fatiguability;
- dyspnea;
- changes in behavior (bad mood, whims);
- frequent colds and acute respiratory infections.
Not all these symptoms are characterized by reduced hemoglobin, as they are similar to other health disorders in children. However, this is always the reason for the delivery of tests, which make it possible to clarify the situation.
Why does the child have low hemoglobin?
- a low level of iron in the blood of a baby or a mother feeding him;
- deficiency of vitamin B 12, folic acid, copper;
- too rapid growth in the child (tissues and cells do not have time to adapt to the new regime of the body);
- the child was born prematurely (premature birth);
- the transferred diseases (infectious, hematological, oncological);
- heredity.
However, first of all, it is necessary to understand that the norm of hemoglobin for children of different ages differs. For example, in infants, the highest level of hemoglobin (134-220 g), even higher than in an adult. In the womb, he breathes through the blood and a high need for hemoglobin is necessary for survival. Already in the first weeks of life and up to 2 months, its level drops sharply and normally amounts to about 90 grams per liter of blood. And then gradually increases and by the year 1 reaches 110 g. By the age of 3, the hemoglobin level stabilizes from 120 to 150 g.
How to raise a baby hemoglobin?
With a low hemoglobin in a child, the treatment is based on proper nutrition and the receipt by the child's body of all the necessary nutrients. First of all, it is necessary to include in the diet products containing a lot of iron (not less than 0.8 mg per day). Up to 6 months, the child receives the necessary amount of iron with the mother's milk. The necessary level of iron is in children's mixtures (for preterm babies it is increased 2 times).
After six months, the products that increase hemoglobin in children will help to fill the deficiency of this element:
- Milk (0.05 g of iron per 100 g of product).
- Chicken (1.5).
- Bread (1.7).
- Beans (1.8).
- Spinach, green salad (6).
- Potatoes (0.7).
- Cabbage (0.5).
- Apples (0.8).
- Pomegranate (1.0).
It is not necessary to feed the child with porridges more than 1 time per day, since they interfere with the normal absorption of iron, tea up to 2 years is contraindicated in general.
Also, you should be careful with cow's milk until 9 months. You can not use it raw, it will damage the mucosa of the gastric tract, and the digestion of iron will be disturbed.
Thus, the menu should always include meat (beef, liver), bread, vegetables and fruits. Also, the pediatrician can prescribe the use of special medications ( activiferin , tardiferron, ferrum lek, haemophore).