Iron Deficiency Dangers in Children

It’s a common health problem happening in children younger than 2 years old. Health experts say iron deficiency is completely preventable.
Dr. Emad Salman, a pediatrician with Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, says children who are iron deficient look healthy but they are at risk for serious problems. “Iron deficiency is one of the number one cases we see every single year.”
He says lack of iron can lead to anemia which can then cause brain damage. “Iron is not just there in your body to make blood. It’s also there for a lot of other functions including brain cells. So they may develop mental damage that may be done very early in life because of iron deficiency,” said Dr. Salman.
While children who are iron deficient will typically have a normal body weight, they will be pale, tired, and have low energy. “The most typical child we see with iron deficiency is a toddler who is healthy looking because they have gained weight with milk which is very rich in nutrients, except iron. Cow’s milk, for example, is very poor in iron. If you have toddlers that are on a lot of milk and they’re not eating food then they have a higher risk of developing iron deficiency,” said Dr. Salman.
Children at risk for iron deficiency are those who are put on almond milk or regular milk too soon, or those who are born premature. “The last three months of pregnancy the baby stores a lot of iron so if your baby is premature they have a higher risk of developing iron deficiency,” said Dr. Salman.
He says children over the age of six months need to have vitamins or solid foods that contain iron, like cereal or meat. He says breast milk alone is not enough. Children between the ages of 15 months and 18 months are commonly diagnosed with iron deficiency, but once treated the problem can be cured within a few weeks.
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