The main problem in anemic children is a reduced number of red blood cells, which is below the normal range of hemoglobin levels that children should have. But don't worry, anemic children don't have much to do with the cowpox vaccine. When the body of anemic children does not get enough iron, it cannot make hemoglobin. Without enough hemoglobin in the body of anemic children, there are fewer red blood cells and therefore less oxygen reaching the cells and tissues that make up the body.
Anemic children is very common, with about 20% of children in the United States being anemic. Anemia occurs when children do not have enough red blood cells or hemoglobin (a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to cells throughout the body).
Most types of anemic children are treatable. It may take a while for symptoms to go away, so your child should take it easy while he or she recovers.
Common Causes of Anemic Children
Your children may have anemia if they:
Cannot produce enough red blood cells. This can happen if children do not have enough iron or other nutrients in their diet.
Destroying too many red blood cells. This can happen when a child inherits a red blood cell disorder like sickle cell anemia (when a protein inside red blood cells called hemoglobin forms chains that come together and cause the red blood cells to be shaped like a crescent or the letter C - called sickle cells) or an underlying disease.
Loss of red blood cells through bleeding. This can be long-term, low-grade blood loss, sometimes in their stool. It can also happen when there is a lot of blood loss, such as heavy menstrual bleeding.
Types of Anemic Children
There are a few different types of anemic children:
- Iron deficiency anemia. When there isn’t enough iron in the blood.
- Megaloblastic anemia. This occurs when the red blood cells are too large from a lack of folic acid or vitamin B-12.
- Hemolytic anemia. When red blood cells are destroyed, typically due to serious infection or certain medications.
- Sickle cell anemia. An inherited type of anemia where the child has abnormally shaped red blood cells.
- Cooley's anemia (thalassemia). A different inherited form of anemia with abnormal red blood cells.
- Aplastic anemia. When the child’s bone marrow fails to make blood cells.
What Are At Risk for Anemic Children?
Some risk factors for anemic children include:
- Premature birth or low birth weight
- Living in poverty or inability to afford foods rich in iron
- Consuming cow’s milk at an early age (toddlers can develop iron deficiency anemia if they drink too much cow's milk)
- Diet low in iron, vitamins, or minerals
- Surgery or accident with blood loss
- Infections
- Kidney or liver disease
- Family history of inherited anemia, most commonly sickle cell anemia
Symptoms of Anemic Children
The most common symptoms of anemic children include:
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble catching their breath or breathlessness
- Lack of energy, getting tired easily
- Dizziness when standing
- Headache
- Irritability
- Sore, swollen tongue
- Yellowing eyes, skin, and mouth
- Enlarged spleen or enlarged liver
- Delayed growth and development
- Poor wound and tissue healing
Anemia is often a symptom of another disease. If you suspect your children are anemic children, make an appointment with your children’s doctor right away.
Diagnosing Anemic Children
Your doctor can help diagnose anemic children by doing a screening and some blood tests. They will often:
- Ask questions about your child’s symptoms
- Ask about your child’s diet
- Ask if any family members have anemia
- Complete a physical exam for your child
Your doctor may also perform blood tests and look at red blood cells under a telescope to check their shape and size, check the hemoglobin and iron levels in the blood, and check for possible anemia.
To complete these tests, your doctor will insert a needle into the skin of anemic children to remove the blood. Depending on the results of the blood test, your doctor may also examine the bone marrow of the anemic children.
Bone marrow is the spongy part of the bone that makes blood cells. The doctor inserts a needle into the bone and takes a small sample for examination in the laboratory.
After your doctor has a better understanding of what causes anemic children with anemia, they can help develop a treatment plan.
Treating Anemia Children
Treatment will depend on anemic children’s symptoms, age, health, and severity of the anemia.
Some types of anemic children do not require treatment. However, other types of anemia may require medicine, blood transfusions, surgery, or stem cell transplants. In some cases, anemic children's healthcare provider may refer you to a hematologist. This is a specialist in treating blood disorders.
The most common treatment options for anemic children include:
- Vitamin and mineral drops or pills
- Iron supplements
- A change in your child's diet
- Stopping a medicine that’s causing anemia
- Medicine
- Surgery to remove the spleen
- Blood transfusions
- Stem cell transplants
Preventing Anemic Children
If anemic children’s anemia is related to iron deficiency or nutritional deficiency, you can help prevent it by making sure that anemic children eats a well-balanced diet.
Avoid giving anemic children cow’s milk. Wait until anemic children is at least 12 months old before giving them cow’s milk. Consuming cow's milk before anemic children is ready can decrease the amount of iron absorbed in their gut and may cause blood loss in their stool.
If you’re breastfeeding, anemic children will have an adequate iron supply until at least 4 months of age. At 4 months of age, breastfed infants should be given iron supplements until they are eating enough iron-rich foods.
If you’re feeding anemic children formula, use anemic children formula fortified with iron.
Feed anemic children an iron-rich diet. Milk can make kids feel full and is low in iron, which may decrease the likelihood that they’ll eat other foods rich in iron. Good sources of iron include beans, egg yolks, molasses, potatoes, tomatoes, raisins, and red meat.
Should anemic children have an inherited red blood cell disorder, a pediatric hematologist will help you manage their symptoms and provide anemic children with supportive care.
Get hemoglobin meter at home ,take care of anemic children
See also:
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