What to do if children have iron deficiency anemia?

When we have a child, we always want to give him the best. We hold him in our hands for fear of dropping him, and hold him in our mouths for fear of melting him. We always want to give him the most interesting toys, the best food, the most comfortable clothes, and the best growth environment within our capabilities. However, some parents only let their children eat what they like in order to make them happy. Parents must pay attention to the fact that this eating habit may cause anemia in children.

1. Iron therapy

Iron supplements are specific medicines for treating iron deficiency anemia. There are many types of iron supplements. Generally speaking, oral inorganic salts are the most economical, convenient and effective method. Divalent iron is easier to absorb than trivalent iron, so it is more commonly used. Commonly used ones are ferrous sulfate, which contains 20% iron; and ferrous fumarate, which contains 30% iron. For the convenience of administration for infants, it is often prepared into a 2.5% ferrous sulfate solution (2.5g ferrous sulfate, 2.9ml dilute hydrochloric acid, 12.5g glucose, 100ml chloroform water). The dosage should be calculated according to the iron element contained. According to experiments, 4.5-6 mg/kg·d, taken in 3 divided doses, is appropriate (after conversion, ferrous sulfate 0.03 g/kg/day; ferrous fumarate 0.02 g/kg/day; 2.5% ferrous sulfate mixture 1.2 ml/kg·d). This amount can reach the maximum limit of absorption. If it exceeds this amount, the absorption will decrease, and the irritation to the gastric mucosa will increase. Excessive dosage may cause poisoning. It is best to take the medicine between meals, which can reduce irritation to the gastric mucosa and facilitate absorption. It should be avoided to take it at the same time as large amounts of milk, because milk contains high phosphorus, which can affect the absorption of iron.

2. Treatment to eliminate the cause

Most of the diseases are caused by improper diet, so it is necessary to improve the diet and feed properly. Some mild cases can be cured simply by improving their diet. When improving the diet, the first thing to do is to give the child appropriate food according to his or her age. Because children have poor digestive ability, changing and adding complementary foods must be done with caution. Generally, a few days after the start of drug treatment, when clinical symptoms improve, complementary foods should be gradually added to avoid indigestion caused by increasing food too quickly. For babies around 1 year old, eggs, vegetable puree, liver and minced meat can be added. Infants and children must correct their picky eating habits and be given foods rich in iron, vitamin C and protein.

3. Blood transfusion

Because the disease develops slowly and the body's compensatory ability is strong, blood transfusion is generally not required. Blood transfusion is only indicated for patients with moderate anemia, severe infection, or urgent need for surgical operation. For those with hemoglobin below 30g/L, blood transfusion should be performed immediately, but it must be done in small amounts and multiple times, or concentrated red blood cells should be transfused, 2 to 3ml/kg each time. Transfusing blood too quickly or in too large an amount can cause heart failure. If heart failure is severe, transfusion can be used to replace whole blood with concentrated red blood cells. Generally, hepatic erythrocyte sedimentation rate (HRS) is not required. It is understandable that we parents want our children to be happy, but we should not spoil them. Children are relatively ignorant and they need our education. It will not work if we let them develop freely.