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Highlights

My baby seems pale and weak. Could it be anemia?What is anemia, and what causes it?Is anemia dangerous?Is my baby at risk for anemia?Should I call the doctor?Can I prevent my baby from becoming anemic?How is anemia treated in babies?So should I give my baby an iron supplement, just in case?

My baby seems pale and weak. Could it be anemia?

Yes. In fact, the most typical signs of anemia are pale skin and tiredness. Other signs include rapid

heartbeat, irritability, loss of appetite, brittle nails, and a sore or swollen tongue. But it's common for a baby

with anemia not to have any symptoms at all.

What is anemia, and what causes it?

People become anemic when red blood cells don't carry enough oxygen to the tissues in their body. Various

conditions can cause anemia, including an inherited illness calledsickle cell anemia, but iron deficiency is

the most common cause.

The human body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying red pigment in blood. If your baby

doesn't get enough iron, he'll have fewer red blood cells and the ones he has will be smaller, so his body

tissues will receive less oxygen than they should.

Children are especially susceptible to anemia during periods of rapid growth, when they need extra iron that

they don't always get. But iron-deficiency anemia doesn't happen overnight it's caused by a relatively

severe deficiency that develops over time.

Iron deficiencies can happen for several reasons, including not enough iron in the diet, ongoing blood loss

(in the intestinal tract, for example), and poor absorption of iron.

Is anemia dangerous?

It can be. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, a child who's anemic could suffer permanent

mental and physical problems. (While an iron deficiency can be corrected, the mental and physical

impairment is not always reversible.) Iron deficiency also makes kids more susceptible to lead poisoning and

infection.

Is my baby at risk for anemia?Between 9 and 24 months is a high-risk age for anemia. These babies are also at highest risk for anemia:

Premature and low-birthweight infants who are 2 months old or older. Full-term infants are born with iron

stores accumulated during the last months in utero, which can last four to six months. The iron stores of

babies born prematurely may last only about two months.

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Those who drink cow's milk before their first birthday. Cow's milk is low in iron. It also interferes with the

body's absorption of iron. And it may replace some iron-rich foods in the diet. Milk can also irritate the lining

of a baby's intestine, causing bleeding. This slow loss of blood in the stool along with low iron intake

can cause anemia.

Breastfed infants who receive no iron-fortified foods after 4 to 6 months of age. The iron in breast milk is

absorbed three times better than the iron in formula, but around the time a baby starts eating solids, he

needs additional iron in the form of fortified cereals and other iron-rich foods.

Full-term, formula-fed infants who aren't given iron-fortified formula.

Should I call the doctor?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)recommends that babies be screened for anemia between the

ages of 9 and 12 months, or earlier if they were born prematurely. But if you notice any signs of anemia, do

call your baby's doctor. To determine whether your baby is anemic, the doctor will do a blood test to

measure levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit (percentage of red blood cells in the blood).

Can I prevent my baby from becoming anemic?

You can prevent your baby from developing iron deficiency anemia. Here's how:

If your baby was born prematurely or at a low birth weight, talk with his doctor about iron supplements.

Until he's a year old, give your baby breast milk or iron-fortified formula, not cow's milk.

Once your baby starts eating solids, feed him iron-fortified cereal, and eventually (starting at about 8

months) iron-rich foods like lean meats, poultry, and fish; iron-fortified pasta, rice, and bread; leafy green

vegetables; egg yolks; and legumes. (See ourage-by-age guidefor more details about when to feed your

baby various foods.)

Offer plenty of fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C (like kiwi, avocado, and cantaloupe), which

helps the body absorb iron.

How is anemia treated in babies?

It's important to boost your baby's iron intake once he's eating solids, but dietary changes aren't always

enough to correct anemia. Your child may also need an iron supplement, usually given in the form of drops.

Iron is absorbed best on an empty stomach, but because it can cause tummy upset (and has an unpleasant

taste, besides), your doctor may suggest giving the supplement to your baby with food, breast milk, or

formula. Your doctor will probably recheck your child's hemoglobin/hematocrit levels after he has been on

the supplement for a month or two.

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It usually takes a couple of months for the blood count to return to normal, then another six to 12 months to

replenish iron stores. After that, your child's iron can probably be maintained with an iron-rich diet.

So should I give my baby an iron supplement, just in case?

Iron supplements are helpful in many instances, but too much iron can be poisonous, so always consult your

doctor before giving your baby iron supplements.

Once you have iron supplements in the house (or vitamins that contain iron), make sure you keep them

locked up and well out of your baby's reach. Iron is a leading cause of accidental poisoning.

New title

Anemia is the condition in which there is an abnormally low amount of normal red blood cells in the body. The red

blood cells are the oxygen carrying cells, so when there are low numbers of them, the body has to work harder as

a whole to get enough oxygen with the limited number of red blood cells it has.

The causes of anemia can essentially be put into two big categories:

1.The body is not making enough red blood cells

2.The body is making enough red blood cells but they are being destroyed at a high rate

The Body Is Not Making Enough Red Blood Cells

You Need Your Vitamins And Minerals

To make red blood cells, the body must have adequate amounts of iron, folate, and the vitamin B12. Breastfed

infants, infants on formula, and children eating the typical U.S. diet usually get adequate amounts of folate and

B12. However, iron deficiency may sometimes be a problem especially in babies born prematurely or in children

who are started on whole cow's milk prior to one year of age. During the last trimester of pregnancy, the mother

transports a lot of iron to the baby. This iron lasts for about the first six months of life. After six months, the infant

must take in enough iron by mouth to keep from becoming anemic. Whole cow's milk interferes substantially with

the absorption of iron from the intestines while breastmilk actually increases the absorption of iron.

Shut Down Of the Cell Factory

Another cause of not making enough red blood cells is that the bone marrow (the center of bones that make the

blood cells) is being hampered in some way from making enough red blood cells. This most often occurs with viral

illnesses. Viruses, for reasons not entirely understood, may cause the bone marrow to temporarily decrease its

production of cells. This is usually transient and production returns to normal after a couple of weeks. Certain

medications may cause this as well, however, the bone marrow usually returns to normal function after the

offending medication is stopped or the dose reduced. Leukemia, or cancer of the bone marrow and blood, may

decrease the bone marrow's production of normal cells as well. Finally, there are rare inherited disorders of the

bone marrow that may lead to complete shut down of the bone marrow requiring bone marrow transplant.

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Lead

Lead has a toxic effect on the production of red blood cells and is, unfortunately, a common, preventable cause of

anemia in certain parts of the U.S.

Enough Red Blood Cells Are Made But They Are Being Destroyed At A High Rate

Square Peg in Round Hole

Your blood vessels are little tubes throughout your body. Sometimes these tubes are large, and sometimes they

are microscopic. They get so small that at times there is only room for one red blood cell to fit through at a time.

Therefore, if the red blood cell is of abnormal shape, it may get stuck in the tube causing it to shear and be

destroyed. The normal shape of ared blood cell looks sort of like a doughnut which allows for flexibility when

traveling through these small passageways. Certain conditions may make the red blood cells prone to bursting due

to odd shape or the lack of this flexibility. More common conditions include sickle cell anemia and spherocytosis.

The Wrong Building Blocks

The structure and function of red blood cells is dependent upon a molecule called hemoglobin. Certain inherited

diseases cause an abnormal hemoglobin to be produced. When this occurs, the life of the red blood cell, which is

usually about 120 days, becomes much shorter. Then, when the bone marrow can't keep up with how fast the cells

are dying, anemia occurs. Examples of this include sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.

As you can see, there are quite few reasons that children may become anemic. The most common cause of

anemia in a child your son's age is iron deficiency. However, I agree with what you have read in that you son's diet

should probably have kept him from having this problem. Therefore, I suggest you discuss this at length with your

physician. A careful history taken by your doctor will often reveal the cause. However, it may be that additional

tests, including a lead level, will need to be done.

Read more: http://parenting.ivillage.com/newborn/nhealth/0,,3qfp,00.html#ixzz0aYVZKpRH

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