Should I Give My Daughters Iron Supplements?

I would truly think her diet might need more iron rich veggies and stuff but I wouldn't add any supplement without speaking to her doc first and addressing her diet.

How about you talk your concerns over with the doctor and try for an extremely low dose start to see if that's enough for an improvement?
I'm not taking the time to Google this but many things we need and eat have to be absorbed over time and it takes awhile to build up in our bodies.
It's not as simple as 'give her a heap of iron till her blood test says she's had enough'.
Their numbers are off by only a few points - I have no idea if that's a big deal or not - but you HAVE to work with some medical professionals on this and not trust info from strangers on the internet.
Over dosing on iron makes for some bad side effects - you don't want that to happen.

In general, taking a single vitamin/mineral is not that beneficial. The body doesn't absorb these things in isolation - each element needs a combination of other nutrients for proper functioning. The normal human cell needs upwards of 70 nutrients for optimal functioning. So the idea of giving any individual nutrient (whether it's iron or Vitamin C or magnesium or fill-in-the-blank) is incredibly antiquated. It's made the vitamin companies very wealthy but hasn't enhanced the health of Americans. In fact, most pediatricians will tell you that the standard multi-vitamin (you know, like Flintstones or any of the brand names, which also say to keep out of reach of children...!!!) are just "expensive urine" because they are largely excreted in urine due to low absorption. Some doctors will prescribe this vitamin or that mineral, possibly because they just don't know (most have never taken a nutrition course - ask them) and others because they want to ward off litigation for malpractice.

So, what is your plan for a comprehensive supplementation plan? And what is your existing plan for a balanced diet? Most of us could benefit from far better food choices, including local produce and less intake of not only processed foods but also produce shipped from halfway around the world and picked 3 weeks ago. I'm a big believer in sneaky nutrition - there are so many ways to introduce more foods into our diets besides nagging our kids to "Eat that spinach or there's no TV." I gave my son "power pancakes" with all kinds of nutrients in them, as well as high-nutrient lasagna, spaghetti sauce, pizza, burgers, and a lot more. But we also supplement intelligently with comprehensive cellular nutrition and absolutely none of the single-ingredient stuff you are talking about. Our lab results have been fantastic because of the way we do it.

But I think you are just guessing at dosages, and you don't trust your doctor and you are trying to trust the internet and a bunch of moms you don't know. That's a really risky way to go about it. You don't do nutrition based on a popular vote. You do it by education and training. I work in food science education and I totally understand where you're coming from. But you need to look at absorption, purity, and cellular health as well as whether something is patented and therefore you can even trust what's on the label. Otherwise you have no idea what you're putting into your child's body. When I see all the "health food" stores that have been exposed (GNC and Whole Foods, for example) for selling supplements that didn't have the advertised amount (or even ANY) of the key nutrient in the product, and when I look at companies like Airborne and Activia yogurt that had big fines for making bogus and unsubstantiated claims, I get so angry at the profits-over-patients market in this country!

I would ask your doc. Synthetic iron, like the kind found in supplements or added to baby cereal, etc. is very poorly absorbed. It's likely that that is the therapeutic dose needed to get ranges back to normal.

That said...I would want to know WHY my kids were anemic first. Do they not eat enough iron rich foods? Or are they not absorbing iron and if so, why not? I was prone to anemia for years unless I consumed a lot of dietary iron. Turns out I had celiac disease, so I wasn't absorbing dietary iron.

Those ranges seem pretty close to the lower threshold - can you try to add more iron to their diet before supplementing? I supplemented for a few days years ago and the constipation was not worth it. Instead, I started eating more iron rich foods and that kept my levels within normal range. Red meat, seafood, raisins, dried apricots, dark leafy greens (you can sneak some into a smoothie and they are undetectable), beans, etc. are all good sources of iron, that iron is readily absorbed by the gut and won't cause digestive issues.

You absolutely need to follow a pediatrician's order when dosing iron. This is not a supplement to fool around with. It is generally safe, but you are wanting to give this to your child, so you have to know what you are doing. Run all of what you suggested past the doctor. If you don't trust this doctor, which you may not since you are second guessing, get a second opinion before you start giving any supplements.

Your questions and concerns seem valid, and if I were you I would definitely mention them to your pediatrician. I would also discuss diet and whether or not striving for a more iron rich diet would make a difference. But the thing is, I didn't go to med school, and I'm guessing you didn't either. Your pediatrician, however, did. So I do believe his/her opinion carries much more weight.

ETA - It looks like the supplement your doctor recommended is in liquid form. Is the one you found in solid form? That can make a difference in how the iron is absorbed.

This is a question for your doctor, not for some moms on the internet.

I agree with others in working with a doctor to find out why your girls are anemic. As Diane stated below, vitamin and mineral absorption isn't something that works with one single pill.

I have a genetic mutation which causes me a lot of problems, anemia being one of them. (It's the MTHFR gene mutation) It's because of my body's inability to completely process another vitamin which causes me not to absorb iron adequately. I have had the experience of being prescribed iron and it having no real effect because of the underlying mutation (which, unfortunately, the doctor wasn't familiar with.) Long story short, work with a doctor you trust to determine cause. We are only a bunch of moms with largely anecdotal advice, myself included.

I think you should bring up your concerns with your pediatrician. Bring up why you are concerned and what you think that much will do to your kids. Ask why they are recommending that amount. Ask how you know when to lower it or stop. Listen to what they have to say...usually the dr has a good reason for what they say so ask questions!

Welcome to mamapedia!

Why not feed them better? Spinach, broccoli, beans, red meat, etc.? Why not see a nutritionist to help you amend your diet so that you don't have to take supplements?

Maybe you should find out WHY they are NOT absorbing the iron like others? Maybe there is another problem that their body is consuming the iron before they can use it?

I'm ALL for supplements - IF they are needed - however - your kids are NOT so far off that they need this - that's MY opinion.

Too much iron will cause them to become constipated too. You need to make sure your kids are drinking plenty of water as well.

Good luck!

If you don't trust your pediatrician why are you going to them?

Interview and find one you do trust and start going to them.

You should be asking your Dr this question, not mom's on the internet.

If you don't trust your Dr and his/her diagnosis.... get a 2nd opinion or another Dr.

Are you medically educated in this area where you have expertise and you're willing to adjust recommended dosage over a Dr's opinion for your child?