Iron-deficiency anemia is common in teenagers and adults, but it can also affect children. This condition occurs when there is not enough iron in the body to adequately produce red blood cells that carry oxygen to every cell in your body. Newborn babies have only enough stored iron for the first six months of life. Young children from low socioeconomic backgrounds, those who were not breastfed, and who consumed large amounts of sugary and processed foods are at the highest risk of anemia. In most cases, changing the diet can treat iron deficiency anemia in children. A pediatrician or family doctor can correctly diagnose the cause of your child's anemia.
Breast Milk
The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements notes that the best source of iron for infants under age of six months to a year is breast milk. Infants absorb almost 50 percent of the iron present in breast milk while only 12 percent is absorbed from fortified formula milk. Cow’s milk, which does not contain adequate levels of iron, may cause intestinal bleeding in some infants, causing anemia from blood loss.
Fortified Grains
The Mayo Clinic advises that infants from the age of 7 to 12 months require 11 mg of iron per day. Feeding your infant baby food fortified with iron, other whole wheat cereals, oatmeal and egg yolks supplies an adequate amount of dietary iron for young children.
Meat and Meat Products
Poultry, eggs, red meat, chicken, liver, beef, eggs and cheese are rich in vitamin B-12 and heme-iron, which is readily absorbed by the body. The National Institutes of Health advises that adding these meat and meat products to your child's daily nutrition can help prevent and treat iron-deficiency anemia.
Fruits and Vegetables
The iron present in plant-based food is less easily consumed less by the body but its absorption can be enhanced by vitamin C-rich citrus fruits and vegetables, according to the National Institutes of Health. Foods such as peas, beans, lentils, soybean, raisins, prunes, dried apricots, tofu, chick peas, spinach, broccoli, dates, figs and strawberries are abundant in iron and other nutrients that fulfill the body’s need for energy and improve iron-deficient anemia in children.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics- Health Issues; Anemia and Your Child
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Anemia- Risk Factors
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iron
- Mayo Clinic- Children’ s health; Iron deficiency in children: Prevention tips for parents
- National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; How Is Iron-Deficiency Anemia Treated?
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