- WHAT IS ANAEMIA?
Anemia is when you don't have enough red blood cells. Iron is a mineral and everyone's body needs it to function and make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the red blood cells that carry oxygen to other parts of the body. If the child's body lacks iron, it is called anemia. This means that the body's cells are not getting the right amount of oxygen, causing the baby to turn pale and feel weak, tired, and irritable.
Children need a constant supply of iron to grow, otherwise, the body will become deficient in iron. Children who do not eat iron-rich foods, or some children's bodies refuse to absorb iron, develop anemia. Iron deficiency can impair physical and mental development in infants and young children, even mild deficiency can affect mental development.
- SYMPTOMS OF ANAEMIA
All types of anemia have several symptoms.
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling cold
- Dizziness or weakness
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Pale skin
- Dry skin
- Easily bruised skin
- Restlessness in the lower legs (restless leg syndrome)
- Involuntary movement in the body
- Fast heartbeat
- REASONS FOR IRON DEFICIENCY (ANAEMIA)
The main reason for iron deficiency is that the child is not getting the right amount of iron. Children who drink a lot of milk or juice are also prone to iron deficiency. Babies who are bottle-fed even after the age of two are at a higher risk of developing anemia. Or the child eats a diet that is low in iron.
- FOODS CONTAINING IRON
Iron is found in foods obtained from animals and plants. Iron obtained from animals is called heme iron. Iron obtained from plants is called non-heme iron. Our body can absorb heme iron better than non-heme iron.
- HEME-IRON FOODS (EASILY ABSORBED)
Large meats (hamburgers, beef liver, corned beef, steak), lean meats such as chicken, turkey (high in iron), fish (haddock, halibut, salmon, tuna), sausages, clams or oysters
- NON-HEME IRON (DIFFICULT TO ABSORB)
Iron-rich formula or cereal, cream of wheat, oatmeal, iron-fortified breakfast cereals, beans, chickpeas, lentils, cooked beans (in a can), oven I include cooked potatoes (with peel), dried fruit, dried apricots, dried figs, nuts, prune juice, high-quality pasta, high-quality rice, hard tofu, molasses, blackstrap molasses, broccoli, spinach.
- HOW TO PREVENT IRON DEFICIENCY?
To correct iron deficiency, it is necessary to give a supplement (ferrous sulfate) to the child, for which it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. If the iron supplement is given with vitamin C, it is digested quickly or it should be given on an empty stomach. If given with food, its effect is reduced. Iron supplements should not be given with milk or any milk product. Give children no more than two cups of cow's milk per day (16 ounces or 450 milliliters). Half a cup to one cup of juice daily (4 to 8 ounces). Give beef, goat meat, dark turkey or liver, kidney, etc., cereal, double-bread, rice, and pasta, with the words 'enriched' or' fortified' written on it, daily. You can also give the following items:
Serve citrus fruits (malt, grapefruit, tomatoes) with foods that increase iron intake, eg malt juice with burgers, malt drizzled over meat, chicken with broccoli, spaghetti, Along with meatballs and tomato sauce, use the water from the beans or peas inside the can in soups, curries or stews.
Feed dried fruits (raisins, prunes, dates, apricots) sprinkled on cereal, mixed with fruit for lunch, sweets, and hot milk cereal. Make meatloaf in tomato and pasta sauce, and cook meatloaf in macaroni and cheese. Use whole-wheat bread and cereal, whole-wheat cream, and whole-wheat porridge, and give the baby water between meals and snacks.