It is the decrease in the amount of red blood cells in the blood or when hemoglobin, which is a red protein that carries oxygen, is below normal for your age and sex.
Symptom
Although the symptoms often go unnoticed, moms may see signs of something happening, such as excessive fatigue and sleepiness, pallor, and even unusual attitudes such as eating strange things: earth, paper, ice. If the anemia is more severe there is also loss of appetite, irritability and increased heart rate. In the long run leads to lack of concentration and poor performance in school activity.
Causes
There are several types of anemias, but the most frequent in the world and especially in children is called iron deficiency anemia or iron deficiency anemia, usually caused by diets low in animal and vegetable proteins (red and white meats, leafy vegetables Green and legumes). There is also a latent state of iron deficiency, which does not become a manifest anemia but causes damage from not being detected in time. There are more vulnerable periods to have anemia that coincide with the stages of maximum growth such as the first year of life, adolescence and pregnancy.
Effects
Both the anemia already detected as well as iron deficiency that has not yet been diagnosed are serious problems that will harm the development and the life of your child. The damage caused by the anemia is irreversible and persists even after it has been corrected.
It can affect brain activity and cognitive ability, including language development; It also damages motor development and coordination. It has been verified that anemic children have lowered their IQ level by up to 5 points.
Hence the importance of its prevention and early detection.
Detection
A blood test should be done. A hemogram (measures the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin level and hematocrit) when the anemia is already in place, or the measurement of the iron deposits (ferritin) in the periods of high growth that we named before, where The blood count is normal.
Treatment
It consists of the administration of iron: in drops, syrup, tablets, according to the age of the patient. The pediatrician will determine the appropriate dose and duration of treatment of each patient that is generally not less than 3 months.
Therapy with iron supplements without advice from the pediatrician is not recommended. These medicines should not be ingested without prescription and follow-up doctors.
Prevention
The best prevention is a correct diet that begins with encouraging breastfeeding, the iron supplement in the form of drops every day, accompanying the supplement of vitamins as a, d and c, advised by pediatricians, from the incorporation of diet into Infant and then in the child, advise the consumption of foods rich in iron, mainly red meats and viscera, or vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and lentils, as well as citrus that favor its absorption, and the current use of milks Fortified with iron that although they are of not optimum quality reinforce the contribution of this valuable metal.
