Why should iron supplement when anemia due to nutrition?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was written by Pediatrician, Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital.

Malnutrition is a long-term consequence of a lack of protein and energy leading to delayed physical and mental development of children. Anemia in malnutrition is a common iron deficiency anemia in children under 5 years of age, due to inadequate dietary intake or poor absorption of iron in the gastrointestinal tract such as prolonged diarrhea.

1. Clinical examination

Malnutrition status: low weight, short height compared to standard (-2SD). Manifestations of anemia: blue skin, pale mucous membranes, fatigue, little activity, shortness of breath on exertion, heart murmurs systolic, toenails, fingernails pale, flat easily broken, loss of tongue spines, difficulty swallowing. School-age children: tired, study is not focused.

Trẻ bị suy dinh dưỡng — Thiếu sắt khiến trẻ bị thấp còi hơn so với tiêu chuẩn

2. Blood test

Mild and moderate decrease in HBG (rarely severe), mean hemoglobin MCH <27pc, MCV (mean erythrocyte volume <80fl, serum ferritin <12ng/ml.
Small red blood cell morphology, blemish.

3. Treatment: adjust and strengthen nutrition, supplement iron

Nutritional advice Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months if possible, then over 6 months of using breast milk in combination with formula, if you are hypersensitive to cow's milk, you can use soy milk.
Supplemental foods rich in iron of animal and plant origin and foods that are easy to absorb iron such as: eggs, fish, red meat such as beef, pork, soybeans, dark leafy vegetables such as spinach.
Increase foods that increase iron absorption such as foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus, tomatoes.

Cà chua — Bổ sung cà chua giúp tăng khả năng hấp thụ sắt

Iron supplements + It is best to use divalent iron preparations such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumarate which are more easily absorbed iron salts. Dosage 4-6 mg iron/kg body weight/day, divided into 2 times, taken between 2 meals. After 6-8 weeks of treatment, the hemoglobin level can return to normal.
+ If there is no response to increase hemoglobin after taking iron, find the cause: insufficient iron dose, child refuses to take, ineffective iron preparations, or find other causes of anemia
Customers can directly Visit Vinmec Health System nationwide for a checkup or contact the hotline here for support.

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This article is written for readers from Sài Gòn, Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Hạ Long, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng.