Hey mamasource ladies. My 2 year old was recently diagnosed as anemic and has to take a liquid iron supplement everyday. My first question is: Does anyone know of an iron supplement that isn't disgusting? I have to fight my daughter or bribe her with m&ms every morning for her to take it. My next question is: What can I do about the stains on her teeth that this supplement is causing? She's been taking iron for less than 2 weeks, and her top 2 teeth have turned grey. I brush her teeth twice a day, but nothing has seemed to help. Any advice out there would be really appreciated. Thanks moms out there!
My daugher has gotten so much better about taking her iron supplement. We are using the Enfamil brand, and that one is better. No more m&m's every morning with breakfast-yay! Thanks for your help!
My son and daughter had the same situation. The stains are something that can't be prevented or fixed. The color eventually goes away. I think they all probably taste gross, but have you tried the Enfamil Poly vi sol multivitamin with iron. That's what we used the second time around. Good Luck.
Ask your pharmacist to flavor whatever drops you're giving, they should be able to mix with over the counters just like they do prescription stuff. As for the stains, my Dr. recommended wiping the teeth with a clean cloth right after you give the drops to lessen the stains, and you could also use baking soda mixed with water--I noticed a little staining, but it does go away with time.
Hi, I am a SAHM to 3 yr old b/g twins; 23 month old boy, and one due in August. My 3yr old son was also diagnosed as Anemic at under one and began the iron vitamins. The only thing we found that kept the stain off was taking him to his pediatric dentist. Now we give him a daily chewable vitamin w/ iron and since your child is 2 he should be able to take these as well. I don't know what ones are out there at the pharmacy, but my mom sells Melaluca(sp?)(an all natural company), so we get the vitamins through her. Hope that some of this helps!
Kristen
My daughter takes the Poly vi sol with iron which stains her teeth. She in 20 months old. We just took her to the dentist and the dentist was able to polish the stain right off. It was harmless to my daughter, the worst part was just holding her down and having to hold still while it was being done. I would recommend a pediodontist just b/c they specialize in children. Good luck with getting her to take them. We started giving our daughter her vitamins in the bathtub at night b/c the tasted so bad she would gag and she may have even vomited once or twice from them. So we figured vomiting in the bathtub would be the best place. And we hve continued to give them to her there and she has just adapeted to them.
My friend's son was severely anemic and had to take iron supplements and also had almost black stains on his teeth. A trip to the dentist and a good cleaning there removed all the stains. They were so surprised that the stains were gone. Don't fret. And good luck!!
My friend's 1 year old was low in iron but was extremely constipated and even bleeding with his BM on the vitamins recommended by the doctor. I gave her some Vita-lea Infant Mix from Shaklee and he no longer had problems going to the bathroom, she was able to mix with applesauce or juice (it is a powder) so he didn't fuss and the doctor said whatever your doing, keep doing it. His iron levels were back to normal.
They also make a healthy meal replacement that would put some extra iron in her diet.
Check it out on www.shaklee.net/gemsoffire or contact me if you have questions - ____@____.com
Hope this helps - K.
I would mix the supplement with milk or juice. My 15 month old drinks it right down every morning.
There's a grape flavored chewable iron supplement called Carlson's Chew Iron, but I'm not sure if the dosage is right for a two year old. Ask your doctor about that. You can buy it from vitacost.com. I've given it to my 5 yr old when she was anemic.
i had to give one of my twins iron and i happened to get it from cvs. it's RX CHOICE FERROUS SULFATE iron supp drops for infants and children under 4. it is a light green liquid and although it still unmistakably tastes like iron it has a fruity taste too. and i never gave it straight, mix it with undiluted juice like 1 or 2 oz and let her drink it like that or maybe milk would hide it better. GOOD LUCK
I think you need to consult your doctor about the staining of the teeth. Also, I know there is a different alternative than giving a supplement. Ask your doctor about food high in iron.
I haven't read through the replies but if this hasn't been mentioned yet, here goes. Talk to the doc about the chewable prenatal vitamins. They have higher doses of iron, I believe and they don't taste all that bad. I know there's orange and grape flavored. Even if you had to cut them in half, it sure beats having a kid overdose on m&m's. haha
I'm not sure what to tell you about the stains on the teeth. For myself, I use peroxide but that certainly wouldn't do for such a young child. Are you using any kind of toothpaste to brush her teeth? I use the little bear toothpaste for toddlers with my little guy and he loves it. I'm not sure that it would help with the staining problem though. Good luck to you. Shannon G.
