My 2 yr old has low iron? I'm kind of freaking out, please help!?

Question

My daughter had her iron levels checked yesterday, and they were a little low. She's been kind of mopey, sleepy, and just acting funny. Looking back I can see that this happens somewhat frequently. She's been really mopey and just kind of sad-looking today. :(

I can't understand why her iron would be low, since she eats quite a bit of peanut butter, breads, rice milk, things like that. My imagination is going kind of haywire, wondering does she have leukemia or something else terrible causing this??????

She's been sick alot since she was born, we've been attributing it to reflux, and recently started her on Prevacid. Could this have something to do with it? Her appetite has improved alot since the Prevacid, so why would her iron be low now?

Any help is appreciated, thanks so much!!!!!

Answer 1

The things you have listed don't sound like they have heaps of iron in them..

are you guys vegetarian??

if not make sure she has her meat daily..

spinach, lentils, brocolli..

meat is a great source for iron.. and green leave vegetables..

i'm sure she will be fine but food is always better than vitamin supplements..

~MeL~

Answer 2

Rice and grains can cause iron-deficiency.  They aren't sources of usable iron.  Meat, dark poultry, lentils, vegetables etc are sources of iron.

Also the reflux could cause bleeding in the digestive system.

Giving too much milk is also a common cause of anemia.

Anemia No More

How one mother successfully battled anemia in her baby...

without using iron supplements

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitami...

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/tod...

It's best to limit the amount of cow's milk that your child receives to 2-3 cups (16-24 ounces) per day, since too much cow's milk in a child's diet can put him at risk for iron-deficiency anemia (because milk can interfere with the absorption of iron) and may decrease the child's desire for other foods.

http://askdrsears.com/html/0/T000100.asp...

Concern about iron-deficiency anemia has led the American Academy of Pediatrics, backed by solid research, to discourage the use of cow's milk in children under one year of age. One of America's top pediatric hematologists (blood specialist), the late Dr. Frank Oski , Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkin University (and co-author of a book entitled: Don't Drink Your Milk) advised parents to be cautious and not rush into the use of cow's milk, even during the second year of life. At present it would seem prudent to continue giving your baby iron-fortified formula during the second year of life and very gradually wean him to dairy products, beginning with yogurt. If your toddler generally has a balanced diet and routine hemoglobin tests show that he is not even close to being anemic, then switch from formula to whole milk sometime during the second year, but don't be in a hurry.

Iron Rich Foods

http://www.mcgill.ca/studenthealth/infor...

Anemic? Increase Your Intake of Iron-Rich Foods

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...

http://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVDec...

Meat provides additional protein, zinc, B-vitamins, and other nutrients which may be in short supply when the decrease in breast milk occurs. A recent study from Sweden suggests that when infants are given substantial amounts of cereal, it may lead to low concentrations of zinc and reduced calcium absorption (Persson 1998). Dr. Nancy Krebs has shared preliminary results from a large infant growth study suggesting that breastfed infants who received pureed or strained meat as a primary weaning food beginning at four to five months, grow at a slightly faster rate. Dr. Krebs' premise is that inadequate protein or zinc from complementary foods may limit the growth of some breastfed infants during the weaning period. Both protein and zinc levels were consistently higher in the diets of the infants who received meat (Krebs 1998). Thus the custom of providing large amounts of cereal products and excluding meat products before seven months of age may not meet the nutritional needs of all breastfed infants.

Meat has also been recommended as an excellent source of iron in infancy. Heme iron (the form of iron found in meat) is better absorbed than iron from plant sources. In addition, the protein in meat helps the baby more easily absorb the iron from other foods. Two recent studies (Makrides 1998; Engelmann 1998) have examined iron status in breastfed infants who received meat earlier in the weaning period. These studies indicate that while there is not a measurable change in breastfed babies' iron stores when they receive an increased amount of meat (or iron), the levels of hemoglobin circulating in the blood stream do increase when babies receive meat as one of their first foods.

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/nou...

Finally, respect the tiny, still-developing digestive system of your infant. Babies have limited enzyme production, which is necessary for the digestion of foods. In fact, it takes up to 28 months, just around the time when molar teeth are fully developed, for the big-gun carbohydrate enzymes (namely amylase) to fully kick into gear. Foods like cereals, grains and breads are very challenging for little ones to digest. Thus, these foods should be some of the last to be introduced. (One carbohydrate enzyme a baby's small intestine does produce is lactase, for the digestion of lactose in milk.1)

[...]

Babies do produce functional enzymes (pepsin and proteolytic enzymes) and digestive juices (hydrochloric acid in the stomach) that work on proteins and fats.12 This makes perfect sense since the milk from a healthy mother has 50-60 percent of its energy as fat, which is critical for growth, energy and development.13 In addition, the cholesterol in human milk supplies an infant with close to six times the amount most adults consume from food.13 In some cultures, a new mother is encouraged to eat six to ten eggs a day and almost ten ounces of chicken and pork for at least a month after birth. This fat-rich diet ensures her breast milk will contain adequate healthy fats.14

Thus, a baby's earliest solid foods should be mostly animal foods since his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates.1 This explains why current research is pointing to meat (including nutrient-dense organ meat) as being a nourishing early weaning food.

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content...

The results indicate that in a group of healthy, well growing 12-month-old Swedish infants one-quarter is iron-depleted, although iron deficiency anaemia is rare, and one-third may be zinc-depleted. The high cereal intake of Swedish infants from 6 months of age may have limited the bioavailability of both iron and zinc from the diet.

Answer 3

I've been anemic most of my life.  Spinach, lentils, beans are the things that I need to eat to get my iron levels up.  I also had to visit a hematologist bc of this( i was also worried about leukemia).  He told me my body was not processing iron correctly he gave a treatment (that I don't remember the med names but it worked:).  I still get low levels once in a while but it is not as often.  Good Luck.  Don't give vitamins/iron with milk bc it affects the assorption of it.

Answer 4

You might start giving her flintstones chewables which has iron in it. It might make her feel better. You could also talk to you doctor and see if there is a reason why her iron keeps getting low and if the doctor has any suggestions to help her feel better.

Answer 5

While leukemia can make a person tired, it doesn't make them anemic.

Your problem could be the Prevacid.  It takes acid (vitamin C is a good one) for iron to be absorbed.  If you diminish the acid environment in the stomach too much, you inhibit the absorption of iron, and Prevacid does prevent the body from making stomach acid.  

When I took ulcer meds (Prevacid and others), I ended up with anemia and had to have some serious iron supplementation--not regular iron sulfate tabs.  It happened, not once, but several times, and each time it was when I was taking the anti-ulcer meds regularly.

I am a medical professional, and it was such a puzzle to me how this anemia could happen since I ate a very high iron diet.  After doing the research, the above is what I discovered.  Now, if I am having reflux or acid stomach a lot, I will take the meds, but only for a week or two, then quit for a bit so I won't become anemic.  I also use OTC meds, like Tums, a little more often rather than relying on those that make you produce less hydrochloric acid.

I hope this will help your daughter.

Answer 6

a multiviatmin should help.. my kids and even my five month old babies take vitamins.

Answer 7

Some babies and adults just become anemic.  One of the most common causes is early introduction to cows milk but there are other causes.  She will need iron supplements.  Most of my nieces and nephews are anemic and my sister isn't but the pediatrician just says that it happens with some babies and not to worry unless they said to worry because iron supplements would help.

Answer 8

I found out my daughter had low iron around age 2 aswell. She is 3 now and was checked at WIC and again she had low levels. The same symptoms you describe my daughter has. I gave her the multi vitamin from Wal-mart, but it has to say complete on the bottle. It was the princess vitamins. They checked her a month later and she was normal. I also gave her tons of  the 100% juicy juice and dry cereal high in iron. They say that to much milk can lower levels to. I freaked out to. Worried sick! Good luck and I am sure that your princess will be just fine.