The baby is more than 8 months old and went for a medical checkup. The doctor said that the child is iron deficient. The mother was puzzled: isn't breastfeeding the healthiest? The baby has been breastfeeding since birth, why is it still iron deficient? In fact, most babies are anemic mainly due to the lack of timely addition of iron-rich foods from the breast. The amount of iron stored in the body of normal infants is sufficient to supply the hematopoietic demand between 4 and 6 months after birth. After 6 months of age, babies should gradually add iron-rich complementary foods for nutritional supplementation. If some mothers do not consume enough iron during pregnancy, they will not be able to store enough iron in the baby's liver and the baby will be prone to iron deficiency anemia after birth.
What are the manifestations of iron deficiency in babies?
- Loss of appetite
- pale face and no energy
- Nail deformation
- Dry hair
- Motivation and restlessness
- Low immunity, easy to get sick
What is the appropriate intake of iron in food.
6 months - before 12 months: the appropriate intake of iron is 10mg/d
Before 1 year-4 years: the appropriate intake of iron is 9mg/d
Before 4 years old-7 years old: the appropriate intake of iron is 10mg/d.
Baby iron should eat more of which foods.
- lean meat although the iron content in lean meat is not too high, the utilization rate of iron is similar to that of pork liver, and it is easy to buy and process, children also like to eat.
- animal liver and blood products animal liver and blood products have higher iron content than red meat, but it is not recommended to eat every day, 1 to 2 times a week to the baby can eat.
- soybeans and their products per 100 grams of soybeans and soybean powder contains 11 mg of iron, the human body absorption rate of 7%, much higher than the absorption rate of iron in rice and noodles.
- fresh vegetables and fruits fresh green leafy vegetables contain high iron, the highest of which is rape, reaching 5.9mg/100g, followed by capers and amaranth, 5.4mg/100g, while the legendary iron master spinach, only 2.9mg/100g.
- sesame paste is rich in various nutrients, is an excellent nutritional food for infants and children. Each 100g of sesame paste contains 58mg of iron, but also rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein and fat, added to the baby food, popular with children.
- black fungus per 100g black fungus contains 98mg of iron, about 5 times higher than the highest iron content in animal foods, pig liver. However, black fungus is not suitable for babies with weak intestines and can be chopped up and made into a supplement.
If your baby is already anemic?
It is recommended to take iron supplements in time. If your child has been diagnosed with anemia, in addition to adjusting the diet in time, you usually need to take iron supplements under the guidance of a doctor. It is best to choose natural plant-derived liquid iron drops drinks, which are mild and non-irritating and well absorbed by babies. Iron supplementation is not a quick fix, and iron drops drink is not a miracle cure that can be taken for three or five days, or a long-term smooth supplement. Even after the hemoglobin is normal, it still needs 1-2 months to replenish the body's reserve iron. For the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency, early detection, adequate dosage and adequate treatment are very important!
Other mothers ask: What is wrong with my baby's green stool after taking iron supplements? Generally speaking, after eating a sufficient amount of iron-supplemented food, especially iron-supplemented products, you will have black and green stools, which is because the body can not digest the iron directly out of the air into the green, is a normal phenomenon, do not worry.