What to do if the baby has mild anemia

The diet of babies is very simple. They mainly drink milk when no complementary food is added. The nutrition of breast milk is related to the mother's diet, while the nutrition of formula milk focuses on the quality of the milk powder. Therefore, many babies suffer from mild anemia, but their parents do not pay attention to this problem and fail to make a diagnosis. In fact, when babies reach a certain age, they need to undergo trace element tests to confirm physical abnormalities. So what should we do if babies have mild anemia?

1. Adhere to breastfeeding.

The iron content in both breast milk and cow's milk is very low, but 50% of the iron in breast milk can be absorbed, while the absorption rate of iron in cow's milk is only 10%. Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia than those who are bottle-fed.

2. Add complementary foods scientifically.

Get iron through dietary supplements. Choose complementary foods with iron-fortified formulas, such as iron-fortified rice cereal; after 7-8 months, add other iron-rich complementary foods in time, such as egg yolks, fish paste, liver paste, lean meat, etc.; appropriately add vegetables, fruits and other foods rich in vitamin C to promote iron absorption.

3. Check hemoglobin regularly.

The baby should be examined once at 6 or 9 months of age and every six months thereafter so that anemia can be detected and corrected in a timely manner.

4. Proper iron supplementation

If the hemoglobin level is below 11 g/L, it is anemia and you should seek medical treatment immediately. Generally, ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, etc. are used and taken as prescribed by a doctor.

If a premature baby has anemia after discharge from the hospital, 4 mg of elemental iron should be supplemented per kilogram of body weight per day. If there is no anemia, 2 mg of elemental iron should be supplemented per kilogram of body weight per day as a preventive measure. This should be continued until the corrected age is 1 year old, including the iron content in formula milk and iron-fortified complementary foods. Starting from 4 months of breastfeeding, full-term infants should be supplemented with 1 mg of elemental iron per kilogram of body weight per day to prevent anemia, including the iron content in formula milk and iron-fortified complementary foods.

It is best to take iron supplements between meals to reduce gastrointestinal irritation. Taking vitamin C at the same time can promote iron absorption. Apply iron supplements for 1-2 months after hemoglobin returns to normal to replenish iron stores.

What should we do if the baby has mild anemia? Parents should supplement iron according to the baby's diet. There are various ways to supplement iron, and it should also be divided according to the age of the baby. Therefore, diet is one of the most effective ways to supplement iron. However, iron supplementation should not be excessive. Excessive iron supplementation will cause an increase in iron elements, which will cause poisoning and is harmful to the baby's body. When parents observe their baby's physical symptoms, they should also refer to some symptoms of anemia and should not blindly supplement iron.