According to research data analysis, iron deficiency anemia in children is the number one killer of children's health. Globally, the anemia rate in children under 5 years old is as high as 47.4%, 50.0% of which are iron-deficiency anemia; the prevalence of anemia in children aged

According to research data analysis, iron deficiency anemia in children is the number one killer of children's health. Globally, the anemia rate in children under 5 years old is as high as 47.4%, of which 50.0% is iron deficiency anemia; the prevalence of anemia in children aged 5-14 is 48.0%, and more than half are iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency in babies is often ignored by parents because the disease progresses slowly and is difficult to detect.

1. If the child has the following 5 symptoms, it may indicate iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia:

1. Pale skin and mucous membranes, most obvious on the nail bed, palms and lips, eyelids, and oral mucosa;

2. Dizziness, fatigue , or even headache, dizziness, tinnitus , palpitation, shortness of breath, decreased physical energy;

3, low immunity, easy to get sick;

4, cognitive abilities, such as decreased attention, observation, memory, imagination, poor learning ability;

5, low appetite, and even short stature.

2. Which type of children are most likely to be iron deficient?

① Babies who do not inherit enough iron at birth

Every healthy full-term baby will inherit enough iron from the mother at birth, which can be used until the age of 4-6 months. However, if the mother is deficient in iron during pregnancy, is obese, has gestational hypertension, diabetes , smokes;

or multiple pregnancies (using the same placenta), intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth, low birth weight, placental abruption , premature umbilical cord ligation and other reasons, the baby may have insufficient iron reserves, resulting in iron deficiency.

② Babies whose iron intake is insufficient in the later period

Children who have insufficient iron intake in the later period mainly have the following three situations.

• Breastfed babies do not start taking iron supplements after 6 months of age, or formulas for formula-fed babies are not fortified enough (the minimum iron content of infant formula cannot be less than 6.7 mg per liter)

• Excessive milk intake, the iron content in milk is low, and the utilization rate is also low.

• If the baby consumes too much milk after 1 year old (drinking more than 720 ml per day), it will occupy the stomach space and affect the intake of other high-iron complementary foods.

• After adding complementary foods, the baby's intake of iron-rich meat and dark vegetables is insufficient.

③ Babies with gastrointestinal absorption disorders

Long-term enteritis , hepatobiliary diseases and other digestive and absorption disorders may cause iron malabsorption in babies.

④ Babies with high demand for iron element

The growth and development of babies have high demand for iron. Babies with low birth weight, premature babies, and babies with intrauterine growth retardation need to catch up with their growth after birth and have greater iron needs.

⑤ Babies who have lost or consumed too much iron

Food allergies (such as peanuts, eggs, nuts), intestinal bleeding caused by intestinal parasitic infections, or blood loss due to disease, exchange transfusions and other factors may cause the baby to lose or consume too much iron.

3. So how should parents supplement iron for their babies?

At present, the main clinical treatments for this disease are drug treatment and food treatment. However, food therapy is slow to supplement iron and is not suitable for children with severe disease.

At present, the main clinical treatment for this disease is iron supplementation. In addition to giving children more iron-rich foods in daily feeding, the application of iron supplementation therapy is crucial.

Ferrous sulfate is a commonly used drug for clinical treatment of this disease. However, years of clinical practice experience has found that this drug can cause staining of teeth and is irritating to the gastrointestinal tract. It can easily induce adverse reactions such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and the drug tastes bad, which will have a certain impact on children's treatment compliance.

This suggests that compared with the application of ferrous sulfate, oral iron dextran oral liquid can more effectively improve the blood routine indicators of children, with significant therapeutic effects and higher safety.The reason is that iron dextran oral liquid is a complex of iron hydroxide and dextran, which is easier to absorb. It does not have the rusty smell of traditional iron preparation , has a better taste, and is easier for children to receive treatment. Moreover, the drug will not cause iron ion precipitation, the teeth will not be stained by the drug, and it has a high iron content.

When we find that a baby has iron deficiency anemia, we must first understand the cause. At the same time, it is recommended that the baby needs regular physical examinations, check blood routine , and once anemia is found, follow the doctor's advice for treatment.

Reference:

[1] Miao Hui, Zhang Jinjian. Observation on the clinical efficacy of iron dextran in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in children [J]. Heilongjiang Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2022, 51(01): 42-44.