Is it normal for a six month old baby to have anemia?

When some parents took their 6-month-old babies for a physical examination, they found that their babies were a little anemic. They were very worried about this and always thought that only their children were anemic. In fact, there are quite a few babies suffering from anemia at 6 months old. If you find that your baby's face is pale, and he looks listless all day, feels sleepy after playing for a while, or has a poor appetite, doesn't like to drink milk, and is not very interested in complementary foods, you must take your baby to check whether it is caused by anemia in time.

The iron that a newborn obtains from the mother during the fetal period can meet the needs until 4 months after birth, so iron deficiency is not likely to occur in early infancy. However, since the iron content in breast milk and alternative milk is low, they cannot meet the baby's growth needs. If complementary foods are not added to the baby in time, iron deficiency anemia is likely to occur after 6 months. Especially the following two types of babies need timely iron supplementation, and they can take iron supplementation medicine according to doctor's advice when necessary.

1. Due to the low ability of some babies to absorb and utilize iron, they are also prone to iron deficiency anemia, such as babies with long-term diarrhea and intestinal malabsorption.

2. Premature infants may suffer from iron deficiency at an early age because they obtain less iron from the mother and have a greater demand for iron for subsequent growth and development.

1. Stick to breastfeeding

The iron content in breast milk is the same as that in cow's milk, but its absorption rate is higher, reaching 50%, while that 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. Choose formula milk

Babies who are bottle-fed can choose formula milk, which is fortified with iron and vitamin C to prevent anemia; but formula milk is generally expensive. Another way is to take appropriate iron supplements or eat iron-fortified foods under the guidance of a doctor.

3. Add complementary food in time

Start adding complementary foods to your baby from 4-6 months old, and add iron-rich complementary foods in time, such as egg yolks, fish paste, liver paste, minced meat, animal blood, etc. At the same time, also pay attention to adding some green vegetables, fruits and other foods rich in vitamin C to promote iron absorption.

4. Check hemoglobin regularly

The baby should be checked once at 6 months or 9 months of age, and every six months thereafter, in order to detect anemia in time.

1. Try to continue breastfeeding for more than 6 months. Although the iron content in breast milk is less than that in formula, the absorption rate is higher.

2. Foods with high iron content or strong absorption rate: such as animal liver, lean meat, animal blood, soy products, egg yolk, green vegetables, fungus and mushrooms, etc.

3. When feeding animal liver to your baby, do not feed it too frequently or too much. Taking chicken liver as an example, it is generally recommended to feed it once a week, and 2-3 chicken liver pastes can be eaten at a time.