My daughter did not have low iron when she was tested as a baby, but around 2 1/2 every time her blood has been tested, her iron has been low. I tried really hard to raise it by increasing the amounts of foods with iron and serving items with vitamin C at the same time. I also avoided serving foods/ drinks containing calcium at the same time I was serving something with iron. That did not raise her iron levels so I started giving her a store brand multivitamin that contains iron. Her iron is still low. Any suggestions on how to bring her iron up to normal?
Homeopathic Ferrum Phos. 6X every day for about a month restores iron level, and the ability for the body to absorb iron properly from food. I've seen results sooner, but a month is good to do.
Liz
I think that strawberries are also high in iron, and are a kid-friendly food.
i am trying to get our son to eat spinach. tons of iron but he LOVES raisins and never has had a problem eating them. And raisins are good finger food..and loaded with iron. Can try at least? good luck
I had to give my daughter liquid vitamins for a yr she is now 3 & @ her 2 yr well visit her ped told me to go ahead & switch her to a multivitamin for kids & she has done very well on them I have my kids takes these daily it also helps to get the much needed vitamin D since those level
recommendations have also changed.Read the label there are some formulated for 2-5 yr olds that the 2-3 yr old is to take 1/2 daily & then others take the whole vitamin daily.I have the Centrum for kids & give my 3 yr old 1/2 my 6 yr old whole
My daughter was about 12 mos when we discovered her low iron. I tried to increase it through diet one month (Frosted mini-wheats, Gerber oatmeal with bananas, strawberries, red meat), and her levels dropped. The next month, I added poly visol with iron, and her levels dropped again. I quit the poly visol and started the Ferinsol (liquid iron someone else suggested), and they dropped again. The pediatrician recommended 2 droppers of Ferinsol a day and said the next step was a referral to a hematologist. Thank goodness they finally came up! We stopped the Ferinsol and are back on the poly visol with iron. We go get her levels checked next week, so I'm hopeful she's still in good shape. Also, a friend who is a nutrionist said it's very important to eat vitamin C foods WITH the red meat. The iron is hard to absorb from food, and the vitamin C assists with the absorption. Good luck!
Try makng a smoothie with iron rich foods and fruits. Also you might try iron supplements from the health food store; it is strictly iron, and it is easier for your body to break down. You could put the supplements in the smoothies, too.
Eat Total cereal. It has elemental iron that will absorb at a quicker rate than supplements. Sounds crazy- but cook some of her meals in a cast iron skillet- easy way for iron absorption.
My daughter also has low iron, and our pediatrician says it is related to diet as well. The easiest source of iron is cereal- but you really have to read the boxes to find them- Multigrain Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats, Total Raisin Bran, etc. You can give that to her for snacks, as well. It sounds like you're doing everything right. Our ped told us it isn't uncommon for kids that eat a healthy diet (and are meat eaters) to have this problem. Our daughter is 4 and has been on liquid iron supplements for awhile. We got her level up and then tried without it, and her level plummeted again. Now we have her taking it once a day, and a multivitamin with iron once a day. We're going to check it again in a few weeks. I would just ask your pediatrician about the liquid iron supplement (Ferrous Sulfate) and see what they say. You give it in juice once or twice a day, avoiding dairy around that time. My daughter hasn't ever had a problem with the taste. Good luck.
Have you tried Juice Plus+ yet? It's 17 fruits, veggies and whole grains in a gummie treat (now called "Soft Chewables") for kids. Also comes in a capsule form for adults. It contains lots of iron-rich veggies like spinach and kale. All those fruits and veggies definitely can't hurt and they might help! This product is WAY different than any multi-vitamin. It has 3rd party research published in medical journals that shows how it gets in the blood and actually helps the immune system and the whole body in a major way.
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Try giving her Black Strap Molasses very good for low iron look it up and kids usually love it.
We had similar iron issues. Our Pediatrician recommend "My Kidz Iron". You can get it anywhere, but found Wal-Mart had it in stocked. It's not a prescription, but they stock it only behind the pharmacy counter. It's expensive-$22 I think (for a vitamin).
He was about 16 months and received 1mg a day. We had to take it for 4 months to increase and maintain his iron reserves and we removed him from the iron supplement. Retested his iron levels and they were normal after that.
Consult with your physician about dosages and you'll have to retest to ensure her iron levels are be replenished. Good Luck!
