Anemic 10 Month Old, What Are We Doing Wrong??

Hi C., My daughter was also borderline anemic and she was breastfed. The doc said to give her vitamin drops. After I did her levels were fine.

Are you or your spouse of Mediterranean decent? I am 1/4 Greek, which isn't a lot, but unfortunately I inherited betathalassemia. My Mother has it, and my brother, but my two sister's did not get it. Only 1 of my 3 children got it. This makes us anemic (my usual levels are around 9) and our body cannot absorb iron so if we take any iron it does not do anything for our levels. I've only found one doctor that actually knew what it was, everyone else freaks out when I have my blood drawn and then I have to explain and they have to look it up and then note it in my charts. It's really frustrating when I'm pregnant because the levels drop more and they want to keep monitoring me by having my blood drawn (which doesn't help!).

Anyway, that's all I can suggest in that matter. Good luck!!!

P.S. even with my iron levels the way they are, I nursed all my kids and they were fine except the one that inherited the betathalassemia from me.

All of the food ideas are great. One of my children had low iron at one point. Im not sure if it is true, but at a wic appointment(10? years ago), they told me another way to boost iron levels was to cook in a cast iron pan. I did that, along with plenty of raisins(he loved them, perfect finger food) and other iron rich fooods, and his iron levels raised. I hope you find a solution that works for you.

anemia is actually more common in breastfeeding babies because your iron levels start to drop at about 6 months. There are some good supplements but of course it would be better to get it through food. Spinach, kale, broccoli - all the greens are good sources. Also citrus and raisins, whole grains, fish and liver are good sources. If he drinks any juice I would dilute with water some dark berry juice like blueberry or cherry - also beet juice and carrot juice. And even though your levels are fine since you are still breastfeeding you should eat/drink more foods with iron as well. If you make your own baby food I would steam some spinach and puree it. Make some brown rice and give this as a lunch or dinner. That is a high in iron meal right there. Add a little diluted juice and a slice of orange (vitamin c helps the absorption of iron) and you'll be on the right track. Hope this helps!

You're not doing anything wrong! My daughter had low iron levels as well and we did iron drops for about a week but they taste horrid so we quit in favor of natural methods.

To help boost your son's intake, you could try spinach smoothies. I know, it sounds gross, but they are so good.

Mix a handful of (thoroughly washed) baby spinach in with a bunch of strawberries and raspberries and a banana or apple in the blender. It makes the smoothie purple with the color mixture and it is SO yummy!

Black beans and dark red kidney beans are very iron rich. Does he eat those? Also, if you bake bread you can add blackstrap molasses to your bread. That's crazy rich in iron!

Just keep offering him whatever you're offering now and he should be fine. :)

My 6 yr. old son was just diagnosed with low iron. I hear that it could just run in the family. My grandma always had a low iron count. The doctor just told me to give him a multivitamin with iron. I am in the process of looking for a whole foods form. I don't like the flintstones ones because they have aluminum in them. I have been trying to give him cereal that has 90% iron in it. So far I found that cocowheats, cream of wheat, frosted mini wheats all have 90?% iron in it. Also spinach is a good source. I'm pretty sure it would be fine to give him a cream of wheat cereal at almost 11 months. My son was also breastfed for a year. I dont really know what causes this. Search the interenet for natural cures for it. Good luck.

You aren't doing anything wrong. As I remember it, they check for anemia in children at that age beasue the iron levels that they got from the mother naturally wear off. Many kids are on supplements for this. As long as you and the dr. are monitoring it, don't worry about it. Ask your dr. about it next week, it is common.

You probably aren't doing anything wrong there are people that tend to suffer with anemia. Give him and yourself green leafy vegetables, and you might want to eat Liver since you are breastfeeding, he might just need a vitamin with a little iron but remember iron can cause constipation so eating more green vegetables would be better. Just talk with the Dr. I am sure it isn't anything to worry about. Good Luck and keep us posted

K.

Hi C.,

Had the same problem with both of my girls. Every time they would prick their finger for the iron test it came back low. Had to take them to an actual lab for a full work up and their levels came back low but still normal. I was told to up their iron intake. Foods like dark chicken, beef, beans, anything with iron in it. Goldfish have a good amount for snacks or as a side. Look up iron rich foods on the net and you will get a nice long list. I was told to give them those pediashure drinks too...I just got the store brand, less expensive. About one a day was what I was told to give them. Also, ask your doc for a list of iron rich foods. My youngest doesn't like meat but she LOVES beans, black beans, green beans, refried beans, she loves them. Peanut butter too but he may be too young still??? I forget how old they need to be for that.

Hope all goes well!

Hi C.---You've gotten some great advice. I just responded to another mom from today's post. Here's what I shared, good luck.

---It would probably be good to get an accurate reading as far as his iron levels go, however, I would hesistate to give him supplemental iron. I've read that too much iron can cause serious problems.

I am a wellness educator and I advocate that you first use food as your first option for healing. Our bodies are quite amazing when given the proper materials to do so. I am copying info from this wellness class here: Iron is a part of hemoglobin, which assists in carrying oxygen. We need it for survival and function. But iron also acts as a catalyst for the formation of free radicals. Excess iron is a problem since it is hard for the body to get rid of it.

Stored iron causes health problems such as fatigue, arthritis, shortness of breath and neurological symptoms. Continuing to consume and store excess iron can increase the risk of cancer and heart disease since iron increases free radical production.

Contrary to what many people believe, a plant-based diet provides all of the iron needed for function - it is found in legumes, vegetables and grains. The vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables assists in absorbing iron. And, the body self-regulates iron absorption, absorbing less from these sources when it has enough. Taking supplements will raise iron levels, but can also cause constipation, nausea and other side effects. Additionally, doing so will not address the underlying cause for the deficiency.

Iron is found in foods like green leafy vegetables, whole grains, almonds, avocadoes, beets, blackstrap molasses, dates, kelp, kidney and lima beans, lentils, millet, parsley, peaches, pears, dried prunes and dates, pumpkin, raisins, rice, sesame seeds and soybeans. A well-structured, plant-based diet provides adequate iron for almost everyone.

Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron, but I do not recommend supplementation. It is better to consume lots of Vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges and kiwi.

Here are some of the causes of iron deficiency: Excessive amounts of zinc and Vitamin E (usually resulting from supplementation) which can interfere with absorption
Calcium supplementation
Consumption of dairy products
Poor gastrointestinal health.

Hope this helps. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to call me. I'd love to help. D.
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Anemia can be caused by many things, but you are right it isn't as common in a breastfed baby. A couple of things that contribute to lower iron in babies is some types of antibiotics and cold remedies. But if your baby hasn't been sick than these shouldn't cause the problems. Iron rich foods, like fresh apricots mashed, boiled lentils, almond milk, can help to raise the iron level in a healthy way. Sometimes infant cereals that are iron fortified can cause irritation in the tummy and create a "leaky gut syndrome" reaction which can sometimes cause mild anemia. I would just up the foods that have easily digestible iron and see if that helps. Let the doctor know what you are doing as well and see if you can get another check in a month or 6 weeks. Good luck.

My BF daughter also had moderate to low iron levels and we just gave her alot of iron rich foods. the previous poster gave a good list...beans are also high in iron. It is much easier for the body to use and store iron from natural sources.
Blessings, K.

Anemic is very common in breastfeed babies because they are not getting the iron fortified formula. If you buy his food are you still mixing it with cereal? Like rice or oatmeal cereal is iron fortified. Peas and green beans are also high in iron. My son was Anemic and he loves to this day Braunschweiger I would only buy koegel brand. It taste the best it is the only brand my kids will eat. 2oz. Have 25% of the daily iron allowance. I also find pedi sure drinks and bars have lots of iron. My son wont drink milk so he would not do the drinks but he would eats the bars. They are kind of expensive. Becuase he would not drink milk I found a product from boost that is juice based. I ordered it from Walgreen's they shipped it to there store for free. This was a few years ago so you might be able to find it in the store. I would just do a little and dilute it with water. My son was about 12 months when he was Anemic and it lasted until he was almost 2. Since your son is 10 month old you could also give him 1 bottle of formula a day and that might take care of it or the vitamin drops but they were nasty and my son would not take them. They were dark in color and smelled. He did have him on a liquid iron drop and he took that ok.. But that is extremely expensive. Need any more ideas just email..

My daughter and her daughter have always had a bit of this though they are champs when it comes to eating the right things. My granddaughter just saw a new doctor for a check-up. She's turning 13 next week. Her hemoglobin was over 14, so everything is great now. Her pedicatrician never seemed concerned since they have a good diet. She was breastfed until she was 3 or 4 but was eating a full diet. They are not big red meat eaters though, and that is a good source of iron. I'd look for the leanest red meat, though, not Mickey D's! Good for you for breastfeeding! Best thing in the world for you and your son! I actually had this daughter tested for anemia when she was 6 months old because back then, they thought the iron was needed sooner if the child was totally breastfed. Now even the APA doesn't recommend early solids. It was over 14 so I didn't put her on solids until she was nearly 8 months as she showed no interest. Actually, my doctor didn't know she was totally breastfed until that point. He asked me what I did with all the info he'd given me on baby food. I told him I threw it out and never read it. He laughed and said she was a very healthy baby. Ha!

Ask your pediatrician about a liquid vitamin with iron. Good luck.