What are the symptoms of iron deficiency in babies?

When it comes to the symptoms of iron deficiency in babies, many mothers will resonate with this. Because for the sake of eugenics, nutrient supplementation of children has always been an issue that mothers are very concerned about. However, because they don’t know whether the baby has taken in various nutrients, they hope to understand the symptoms of iron deficiency in their babies. In fact, it is relatively easy to detect the symptoms of iron deficiency in babies as long as mothers understand the symptoms. Next, let’s take a look at the causes and symptoms of iron deficiency in babies.

1. Inadequate maternal supply during the fetal period

The fetus has a very strong ability to absorb iron, especially in the last 3 months of pregnancy, and needs to absorb at least 3-4 mg of iron from the mother every day. If the mother is iron deficient, it may affect the fetus's intake and cause insufficient storage in the fetus.

2. Artificial feeding

Due to various reasons, many modern mothers have no milk or little milk after giving birth and have to feed their babies cow's milk. Not only is the iron content in cow's milk low, but it also contains a lot of phosphorus, which affects the absorption of iron in the intestines. Therefore, babies who are bottle-fed are very likely to suffer from iron deficiency.

3. Intestinal bleeding due to milk allergy

Studies have shown that 56% of infants have "anti-fresh milk heat-labile protein antibodies" in their blood. Therefore, infants who are fed cow's milk may often experience small amounts of intestinal bleeding. If you lose 2 ml of blood every day, iron deficiency anemia will quickly occur. Experts recommend that parents should always pay attention to their children's stools in order to detect intestinal bleeding early.

Symptoms of iron deficiency:

For infants and young children, the most common result of iron deficiency is iron deficiency anemia, which has a significant impact on their breathing, circulation, digestion, immunity and intelligence.

At first, the baby's face and lips just turned a little pale and he got tired easily. If not corrected in time, the baby will become inactive, not playful, not happy, lack energy, always cry, and often have conflicts with other children. At the same time, the baby does not like to eat and is prone to diarrhea and respiratory infections. Although some children look round and fat in the face, they are actually underweight. In severe cases, the baby's growth and development will slow down and their intellectual development will also be affected. Some babies feel discomfort in their oral mucosa due to iron deficiency, and they particularly like to eat excessive amounts of frozen food, and even develop "pica", that is, eating clods of earth, wall paint, etc.

Data shows that 60% to 70% of the iron in the human body is present in hemoglobin, and most of the rest is stored in tissues such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It is an indispensable substance in many normal physiological processes of the human body.

Iron is one of the main raw materials for synthesizing hemoglobin in the human body. If it is deficient, the hemoglobin content and physiological activity will decrease, causing a significant decrease in the oxygen carried, thus affecting the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the brain.

Iron is also a carrier of some enzymes and electron transfer in the redox reaction system in the human body.

Iron is also closely related to immune function, digestive function, and neurobehavior.

Iron deficiency in babies is often prone to iron deficiency anemia, which usually occurs between 6 months and 3 years old. The onset is usually slow and goes unnoticed by the mother. By the time the baby sees a doctor, the baby has usually developed moderate anemia. Therefore, understanding the clinical manifestations of iron deficiency can help mothers detect their babies' iron deficiency symptoms early.

The above is an introduction to the symptoms of iron deficiency in babies. It should be noted here that it is quite common for babies to suffer from iron deficiency due to various reasons. Therefore, mothers should not assume that their babies are taking in various nutrients, but should pay close attention to their baby's development. If there are any abnormalities, they should immediately change the baby's diet structure to meet the baby's needs for healthy development.