Low Iron Level in My 17 Month Old Daughter.

Hi A.,

I went through the exact same thing with my son. At that age, my pediatrician told me to give him a liquid vitamin supplement. I added drops of it to his juice and it worked out perfect. Now my son is 4 and his iron is much better but I still continue to give him multivitamins a couple times a week with breakfast. Hope this helps. Take care and God Bless!

~T.~

Will your daughter eat cream of wheat (farina)? It's a great source of iron.
The doctor is probably checking iron level in her blood and then the amount of iron she has stored (ferritin). If it is just because she is a picky eater, their office should be able to give you a list of foods that contain iron.
Good wishes,
J.

Hi A.,

The number 8.9 that they told you is your child's hemoglobin. It sounds like she is anemic due to an iron deficiency, which is the most common cause of anemia in children. My 9 month old son has iron deficiency anemia. It was diagnosed at his 9 month well child appointment and his level was 7.5. I was notified on a Sat. & ended up having to take him to the ER. They just confirmed it and did other blood work to rule out other causes, etc. Sometimes it can be due to lead poisoning and since we are in an older house that was a concern. Anyhow, your child's condition is not unheard of, and I know what you mean when you're thinking...I had no idea this was going on. They kept asking me if my son was lethargic and I've never noticed anything wrong! I think it is quite common in picky eaters...my niece also had it. My son won't eat anything (a whole other issue) except breast milk so that is where his problem came in. He is now taking iron supplements which are over the counter. He takes them 3 times a day. The only bad part is that they taste bad...kind of metallic. So he doesn't love them, but it's something he's getting used to. Maybe you could ask your doctor about giving a supplement to help along with trying to change her diet since it is all hard to change over night. I think the reason we never noticed a difference is that it's such a gradual change that children learn to compensate. I'm sure she'll feel better once her levels are up.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

If they want you to go to Children's, the lab people are very nice. We had to go there a couple of times earlier this year, and the one time the secretary forgot to send our paper back and after waiting quite a while and seeing other kids go ahead of us, my husband got very upset. The girl immediately found her mistake, apologized profusely, and we went right away. Then she came back again when we were almost done and apologized again. They're human, but they do seem to really care about the kids and their needs. They even had a box of small stuffed animals for the kids after their blood was drawn.
On another note, are you able to get a prescription for liquid iron? Ask your doctor.

It sounds like you have gotten some good advice. I agree with Jo M and Melissa B. I have low iron (and don't feel tired) so I have looked up some things too. I don't eat a lot of meat either. I take a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses everyday, the one particular kind I have has 70% of your daily intake, but another one I bought (without thinking it'd be different) has only 25%. So look at the back, and maybe different stores. I like getting iron from real foods, it doesn't bother my stomach like a pill does. And I drink orange juice with it to help absorption. My count has come up. (I don't know if molasses would bother a 17 month old or not, maybe ask doctor first) The list of foods given by one reader was good too. I like the website: http://whfoods.org/getstarted.php
click on essential nutrients under site map, under eating healthy and they list nutrients, and you'll find iron and a bunch of info about it! (always check with your doctor!) this is from the website:

Excellent food sources of iron include chard, spinach, thyme, and turmeric.

Very good sources of iron include romaine lettuce, blackstrap molasses, tofu, mustard greens, turnip greens, string beans, and shiitake mushrooms.

Good sources of iron include beef tenderloin, lentils, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, venison, garbanzo beans, broccoli, leeks, and kelp.

Best of luck!!!!

Hi A.,
My son just had his 15 month check up today and his was 10.1 and we are going for blood work as well. The test that they do is to check their hemoglobin, which is often low if their iron is low (but other things can cause it). I have to take my son to get a blood count and to have his iron level checked and if it is low, then we will have to put him on an iron supplement. When they take the blood, they will take it out of a vein in her arm. Make sure where ever you take her for the blood work is experienced with babies. It will be less traumatic for you and her. GOod Luck...know you aren't alone!

I would try and get her to eat more meat, even though she's not a big fan of it, or even go with the vitamin that WIC suggested! I wouldn't be worried but would still take her to the hospital just to be safe and make sure everything is okay. There's no harm in making sure everything is alright, right!? Good luck! :)

my daughter also had low iron levels at WIC. I called the dr and they told me to give her a vitamin with iron in it. I gave her flinstones. I took her back the next time and her iron was up so high they told me to stop giving them to her. The dr said unless she starts acting tired all the time for no reason then not to really worry about it. Im sure everything will be fine. Good luck!

Small babies and children need a significant amount of Iron each day. They are growing so fast that their body uses it quickly. Try buying baby cereal. Gerber and other companies make cereal out of rice, oatmeal, barley, and other things. These baby cereals are iron fortified which means they add extra iron knowing babies need a lot each day. Try using it for breakfast by smashing or pureeing some soft fruits such as bananas or peaches, then adding a juice such as apple or grape, and then mix in the cereal you choose until it thickens up. If you then want to heat it slightly you'll end up with a breakfast similar to oatmeal or cream of wheat that will give her lots of iron for the day.

Hello! when my son was about 9 months his pediatrician checked his iron levels and they were low - about the same as your daughter. We supplemented with Fer In Sol liquid drops for about 3 months and when they tested at that point it was within normal limits. The doctor mentioned to us the importance of iron, not just in the blood but in bone marrow as well and when levels get so low it takes some time to rebuild the iron throughout the body. We did go through 2 rounds of blood work to check true levels of iron to decide the need for the supplement. Hopefully after the blood work, you'll have some more answers and that the pediatrician will be able to give you some suggestions to keep the iron levels up! Most hospitals seem to take good care of little ones when they have to have their blood taken. I know it seems scary! My son was definitely braver than I was! Take care.

A., I think 10 is a normal level.

I found this on the internet:

Here are some tips that can help up a toddler's iron intake:
Try flavor-enhancing the iron enriched infant cereals you are offering. If he enjoys eating pears, begin adding a teaspoon of cereal into his pears. If he enjoys this, try gradually increasing the amount you mix in. Try any fruit or veggie that has already been introduced into his diet -- and of course, O. he already enjoys!
If baby cereal just doesn't interest your little O., try an adult cereal (hot or dry) that is iron fortified. Though the iron is not as well utilized, it nevertheless can be an excellent dietary source. Choose a cereal that contains only foods that have been safely introduced into your toddler's diet. Stay away from cereals with nuts, seeds or hard pieces of dried fruit.
Many toddlers enjoy the taste of red meat. Since this iron is readily assimilated, you might want to try serving small soft meatballs made with finely ground beef and iron-fortified cereal.
Use iron skillets for cooking. Foods, especially those with a tomato base will pick up some iron from the skillet.
To improve iron absorption, choose a vitamin C-rich food, such as orange juice to eat along with iron-rich foods. (Make sure these foods have already been safely introduced into baby's diet.)
Serve an animal source of iron along with a non-animal source together in the same meal. (For example, serve chili, which contains both beef and beans -- and may contain vitamin C rich peppers and tomatoes.) This type of combination will significantly increase the absorption from the non-animal source.

Best Sources of Iron:

Beef or chicken liver
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Egg
Chicken

Other Sources:
Whole grain bread
White bread
Peanut butter
Baked beans
Branflakes
Cornflakes
Lentils/soy beans/red kidney beans
Broccoli
Green peas
Baked potato with skin
Sesame seed paste (tahini)
Dried apricots
Blackstrap molasses
Prune juice
Cream of Wheat cereal
Are you breast feeding? If so make sure you get enough iron too! Hope these tips will be of help.

A.,

It is good that WIC had this checked. I believe the WIC level is a bit high at 11. When my twin daughters were checked there they would tell me the level is low (being under 11) but my doctor's recommended level was 10. The girls' blood fell between those two so I did not need to do much. They are also meat eaters so I could have boosted their intake if I needed to.

It is obvious that this is a very low iron level and they want to check her for anemia and want to do a full blood workup rather than a tiny finger prick to confirm the validity of the results. They may just give you iron drops or another supplement, but if the anemia is too bad they may need to do more.

I know the blood draw may not be pleasant, but it is worth going through. You don't want her to end up in the hospital. I would go through with the testing and do the best you can. If you're not happy with your plan, fire your pediatrician and go to someone else.

Why don't you just try an infant's multivitamin? I gave my son Shaklee's infant mix since he was 6 months old every morning and night in a little bit of applesauce or yogurt. He didn't give me any trouble at all and he is very healthy. As he got older and his diet got worse I added their meal shakes to his milk on days that he eats poorly and it works well. I trust their products because there is no junk in them and they test and test everything. If you'd like to check out the infant powder go to http://www.shaklee.net/dudinyak/product/20073 I know those iron supplements that the drs give you taste horribly. Most people I know that have tried them ended up tossing them because their little ones wouldn't take them.

My son had low iron at every doctor's appointment from nine months until his two year appointment, when he finally had a normal level. He was put on vitamin drops with iron that he still takes. (By the way, the vitamin drops are a thick, brown liquid that smells bad, tastes bad and stains skin and clothing.)

I know you said your daughter doesn't drink much milk, but one of the biggest reasons for low iron is too much milk. because it can inhibit the absorption of iron. I have no idea how much your daughter actually drinks, but our pediatrician told us to cut back to no more than 8 ounces of milk per day. We have to fulfill his dairy requirement with other items like cheese and yogurt. We also feed him iron fortified foods (many breakfast items are iron fortified). We give him juice in the morning with his vitamin drops instead of milk, because vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron. And we also wait to give him any milk until lunch time, so we do not interfere with the absorption of his vitamin drops.

Our son isn't really a meat eater either, although he's getting better. But, despite that, we were able to raise his iron level to normal by doing what I noted above. When he did have low iron, the only "symptom" I noticed was that he bruised more easily than other kids. He never seemed overly tired. And his level did get as low as your daughter's level - down to 8.9 at one point.

One other thing - have they checked her lead level? Low iron is sometimes associated with high lead levels.

Good luck and don't worry, low iron is a fairly easy condition to manage. You may have to go in to the doctor more frequently to get her iron level checked (we had to go every 3 months), but of all medical issues, this one is relatively minor!

My daughter has never eaten red meat and we had a similar issue show up on regular bloodwork. We consulted a nutrisionist and were told molasses is an excellent replacement to red meat. We now bake gingerbread cookies every Sunday for her "special dessert", along with a chewable multivitamin, our bloodwork is now normal. Good luck to U!

The best iron on the market is Floradix Iron and Herbs available cheaply on vitacost.com. I would ask your doctor if you can give a half dose to her. It is a natural plant based liquid. It tastes like juice. You could use a dropper, or maybe she would drink it. It doesn't cause constipation like pills. Also, I would grind up a little red meat very finely once or twice a week into her pasta sauce so she doesn't notice it. Spinach also has iron.

My first question is this: How did WIC figure this out without a blood test ? (I didn't know WIC did blood tests ??)

Anyway, to find out the iron level in the blood, you have to do a hematocrit -- it's the blood test and it's simple, really. I would definately recommend that you get the blood drawn at the hospital, however, and not at the doctor's office. You want to be sure the people who do it are quick and good at it, so it doesn't hurt unnecessarily.

We went through this with our 2nd youngest, because the doctor ordered a routine test at 12 months. Her iron count was low. And the doctor said it's a concern because a lower than "normal" range iron level could make the child susceptible to diseases and infections.

Our daughter does not like meat either. She is 14 now, and eats a "no thank you" serving whenever we have meat. But she eats some things. She does eat meatloaf, and McD's burgers. (??) She prefers hot dogs with little nutritional value to hamburgers at home, however. She likes chicken.

So, try cheese. Does she like veggies? Green leafy veggies have iron in them. If she'll eat spinach leaves, then she can get iron there -- our food fusser also hates veggies. But she's still alive, and healthy. If the doctor's office orders the blood test, then, when you get the results, talk to the NURSE. Nurses have more training in nutrition and health than doctors do, because doctors spend so much time on diseases and abnormality. The nurse could give you information on building more iron into her diet. If you find a food she really likes, don't worry about feeding it to her more often than you think you should. Just get the iron in.

The other option becomes iron pills, and I gave my kids chewable multivitamins, but we had to work it until we found a brand that they kids liked. You can buy a straight multi-vitamin or one with iron. I'd try the regular one, and see if it's enough to bring the iron count up, and if not, then use the vitamins with iron.

Also be aware that you might need to add fruits when you add iron. Iron can cause constipation when taken in pill form.

WIC said my daughter had a low iron level around the same age. She does not eat meat either. I did not really worry too much about it, she is healthy, never sick, and not overly tired. The next time they checked her, she was fine.
Does she eat beans? They are an excellent source, as are green leafy veggies, raisins and prunes. When she eats iron rich foods, give her something high in vitamin C, which helps in the absorbtion of iron. Avoid dairy products when she is eating iron rich foods, they hinder absorbtion.