Red Blood Cells

L.: You know - the importance of red blood cells is crucial! I will explain something to you:blood carries various substances that must be brought to one part of the body or another. Red blood cells are an important element of blood. Their job is to transport oxygen to the body's tissues in exchange for carbon dioxide, which is carried to and eliminated by the lungs.

Red blood cells are formed in the red bone marrow of bones. Do you want bone marrow issues? Maybe he's really looking out for Angela. Just trust his judgement this time - if he asks anything else of you of this element, then you should question his integrity.

Have a blessed day,

M. G.

Generally at 9 mos they do an iron level check. My ped told me they usually do this at this age because they are eating more table food and drinking less formula. They want to make sure they are getting enough iron becuase they can become anemic at this age. All three of my children have had it done it is just a little finger prick, I am not sure if you remember but you probably had the same test done when you were pregnant.

I wouldn't be to concerned but you can always call your ped and ask I am sure they will tell you exactly what they are doing it for and what to expect.

Hi L.. The pediatrician my daughters had when they were babies didn't do any blood draws to check for anything. But they are now 7 and 6 years old. My son had his 6 month check up last week and his pediatrician didn't mention anything about doing blood work. My suggestion is to call the peciatrician's office and inquire as to why the blood draw is necessary. That way you'll know exactly why they want to do it. If you do call and wouldn't mind sharing the reasoning and since my son is about the same age as your daughter, I'd love to know what they say. Good luck.

We also had (well, tried but had to postpone til 12 months because they couldn't tap the vein) a "well baby" blood draw at 9 months. Basically they're doing a CBC and depending on where you live, a lead assessment. Totally normal.

Yes, it is normal for pediatricians to do some routine infant blood draws, although some vary by what age they check. Checking for "red blood cell production" is done by checking the hemoglobin/hematocrit levels. This checks mainly for anemia, which is affected by Iron intake and can especially be affected as a baby adds new/different foods/formula to her diet.

If only the H&H need to be checked, most offices do this with a finger prick or heel stick. Only if they want other blood counts might they need to access a vein.

As always, never hesitate to call the peds office, even if just for reassurance of what to expect at various ages with her well-checks. Every office varies a little, so it's best to get the word directly from your pediatrician.

My sisters daughter did have hers checked and there was an issue. She was anemic at 9 months and had to be started on iron supplements in order to keep her red blood cell count up. I do not remember my son be checked though. It's a simple test, a heel stick done at the office. Actually come to think of it my son was checked. They checked his RBC and his lead level at the same time. I'm sure they did the same wtih my sister and the lead levels came back normal. :) Best of luck!

Hi L.!

My son had his at 12 months. They took blood for lead levels too. It's completely routine.