Iron Drops

A lot of this could just be the way that his body absorbs iron. I have twin boys. They eat basically the same thing every day. One has normal iron and one is low. I was also shocked about this especially since they both get the same foods/milk every day. And they are both good eaters. In fact the one with low iron is more likely to eat meat.

I'm giving drops now as well. Hopefully it will resolve soon. They just need a lot of iron right noow.

The natural way to get the Iron up is to use a food processor that will separate the fruit from the juice, take some tangelos and grapefruit other citrus product that will boost Iron. Mix in something sweet like natural honey infants and toddlers do not like citrus. In a 24 to 48 hour period it could go up 5 %. P.S. The juice must not sit he or she should drink it soon after you make it. All fresh fruits should do the trick.
I am a Family Childcare Home provider.
M. J. D. Kay

Hi! We went through the same thing. I started my 12 mo. old on the iron drops, and they started to stain his teeth! I looked it up online, and sure enough, it's a really common side-effect that has to be professionally removed by a dentist! Yeah, right, my 1 year old is going to sit still for that! My instinct told me that he was fine, and I knew his diet was great, so I stopped giving him the drops after only about a week. At his month later check up, his levels were right in the middle of normal, and 2 months later, they actually said they were bordering on too high! If I was still giving him iron drops, they told me to stop. Don't worry about it. Keep an eye on him and make sure his diet is good. I think it's just something that fluctuates, and they caught my little guy on a low day.

Hi J.
I have delt with the iron problem and as a nurse you know that you have to feed them furits and veggies.. As for me I would not worry as he might not retain the iron you give him as his matabolism might be real high and he just might use more then normal..
M.

have you tried fortified soy milk? Silk makes one that tastes like vanilla or plain (I wouldn't recommend chocolate, we didn't like it) but my son started on that, he is 4 1/2 now and will drink soy or cow's milk, but he prefers the soy. also, I would try what the other person said about slowly introducing whichever by mixing it with his formula, we did that with our son and he was off formula by 12 months.

Keep you and him off simple sugars and caffine drinks. Plus stay out of day care and stay home with your children.

A ton of kids at this age have low iron levels. My son did too. Just give him the drops as directed by your doctor and your baby should have normal iron levels in a few months. Just make sure to have his levels retested at his next appointment so you can stop the drops if he is good. Also, the iron stains terribly! Keep it off ANYTHING you don't want to turn brown. The most important thing is to keep the iron away from your baby and other kids. While the stuff taste awful so I doubt anyone would start drinking it it is still something to be careful with as it can be fatal in an overdose.

Hi J.,

Did the pediatrician schedule a 1 month follow up for you? (It should be one month!) Sometimes they are trying to determine the cause of the low iron and make sure it is not diet before they try something else. There are a lot of different things they look for but low iron levels can also mean lead poisoning. He may just be trying to rule something out. There are several tests a ped can do but sometimes don't have the testing capability in their office. If his iron adjusts with supplementation then nothing should be wrong, if it doesn't then he will want to look for a deeper problem.

Lead can be found in so many things these days. You can buy lead testers at Home Depot and actually rub them on toys and see if there is a lead content. With so many things coming in from China with lead in them, they are handy to keep around the house. And at 12 months, everything goes in the mouth, lol.

Call you pediatrician and see what his reasons are. They may be valid or he may just be following an iron chart and doing the status quo. Watch the iron levels, too much is also not good.

Hope I helped!

M.

has he been sick recently? With my dd#2 she was sick and teething all her teeth at the age of 14 months. Because of this her iron dropped because her immune system and little body were overwhelmed. They also put her on iron but even the DR said that if they hadn't done a hemoglobin test then no one would have ever known as her body would have naturally bounced back. And that this is a natural occurance in the body (has to do with the blood cells- can't remember if its white or red- i think white). Anyway, If he is teething or has had a cold or anthing it is probably due to that. And for what its worth- My dd was only on iron for about 3 weeks- 1 week into the iron she had correct iron levels but we were suggested to leave her on it for atleast a couple weeks.

She is a very healthy eater (was then and is now). Was breastfeed to age one and all 5 of my kids drink non fat milk! They also really like soy and rice milk- which they drank a lot of while transitioning off of breastmilk=-)

I went through the same thing with my youngest daughter. Our pediatrician wanted to do more testing, but my daughter was right on the line of anemia. Our gut told us just to let it go since she eats great and does not show any signs of anemia. My husband is an RN and he feels the same way as you do. My pediatrician said that he will just do bloodwork when she turns 2 in Sept. Don't beat yourself up! You are doing a great job!!!! I have learned to pray and listen to the guidance of the Lord...He will direct your path! Blessings to you and your family. J.

When my daughter was your sons age (now 2.5) she was diagnosed with low iron too. Probably around the same number or just a little lower. I paniced and freaked for about a week. I forced those disgusting little drops on her and she hated them with a passion. When she began practically hyperventilating when I would get the jar I decided that it wasn't worth it. We would just increase her iron foods etc. (She is a super eater too.) After a week of trying to figure out this new diet for her I started letting things slide. I was a working mom at the time and I was just driving myself insane. So I did nothing! When it was time to go back to the doctors, and I am sure it was not for 6 months or so, they checked it again. I was terrified that I had made her sick or something terrible. I was racked with guilt and fear. Her numbers came back just fine. The doctor told me, not knowing I had stopped the drops, to continue doing the drops and everything should be fine. I just smiled said thanks and went on. I hope that you will relax a little and not drive yourself nuts like I did. It is terrifying any time they tell you your child has something wrong even if it is minor!

Good luck!

My son had a condition where his bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells and his iron dropped to the 5's. When we got it back to normal it was in the 10's. I say this to tell you our doctor told us that in the US we are not anemic due to diet there is something underlying. Since that number is really not that low, that may be his #. He also told us that when ours was in the 10's that could be our sons normal number. I am not sure I would worry to terribly much and see what happens in the next 3 months. Be careful not to let him get constipated on iron. Good luck!

I am a mom of 5 and have dealt with boarder line anemia twice. Both times they wanted me to give iron drops and like you I breastfeed (past a year though). Anyway I opted to give iron fortified foods which is really the bodies best way of getting iron anyway. Google Dr. Sears and get a list of high iron foods and just wait I'm sure it will go up sometime after his first birthday. Good luck!!

Calm down!! You are having first time mommy freak outs!!! It's really not that big of a deal. And honestly, this could have happened if he was on whole milk instead. They will test him again at his next 2 check ups also to see what his levels are. As long as you are feeding him table foods along with the Step 2 formula, then he should be getting everything he needs for the most part. You didn't say how much formula he is drinking a day or how much table food he is eating either. My son at 1yr old was drinking 2 sippy cups (the big ones) of whole milk a day and completely on table food. Have you tried to mix milk with his formula to get him switched over? Start 1/4 milk to 3/4 formula for about a week then go 1/2 and 1/2 for another week or so and then to 3/4 milk to 1/4 formula and before you know it he'll be on whole milk!!

Good luck!
~S.

Your iron levels drop off when breastfeeding after about the sixth month, if I recall correctly. Our pediatrician recommended that each of my boys take Trivisol for a period between when my iron levels wouldn't be sufficient and when they were weaned and moved onto whole cow's milk at 13 months. Your son isn't severely anemic, and it sounds like you're beating yourself up over it. Why? You've dealt with it properly and make sure you go over it again at the 18 month checkup.

I dont think there is any thing you did or didnt do that could have prevented anemia. I'm traing to be a nurse and am 41 yrs.old and am anemic and Hypogylicemic. I have 3 healthy kids but my oldest(7yrs) is border line anemic. All you can do is ask the doctor for vitamins, iron tabs(that helps me and my son) My mom was anemic and had B-12 shots in her 20's and she just past at 82 last Sept. Anemia is not that big a thing as long as you keep it under contrl. My 7 yr old was 5lb 4oz full term when he was born. They tol me when we left the hospital that he would drop weight. He gained 6oz by the time we left. GO WITH YOUR GUT! Youre theMOmmy and you WILL know.

Don't worry! (easier said than done, I know).

Now they recommend that all children between the ages of 1 and 2 take the iron drops. We had a "perfect" iron score for our 1 year check up and our ped still told us to get the iron drops. I did (bought them one time) and when they didn't make a difference in my child's iron level (had rechecked when finished bottle of iron drops). I didn't buy another bottle. While there is a significant difference between 10.4 and 11 (especially in a child) MOST of the time the "problem" can be solved by increasing iron rich foods (dark green vegetables and fish). Did dr say he was anemic? I was told that you're not considered anemic until HGB is below a 7 consistently (checked every month for 6 months while being on a high iron diet). You are doing all the right things - continue to give him variety foods, limit sugary/junk foods and juice, and in his case try to add more iron rich foods to his diet. Things will get better soon :)

Also as a side note - continuing formula past the age of 1 doesn't really do much for the kid - he really needs the vitamins, minerals, and fat found in whole milk and his body needs to learn to process dairy.

~A.

so sometimes we feel alittle guilty when we have to go back to work ya know. i think your son will be fine and just know that some of us have to work to make ends meat and that says your a great mom that you want to do good for your child

You're a nurse so you obviously know how to balance his food. Quit beating yourself up!! This is probably just how his body is and I'm sure a good nutritionist can lead you on the right path to adding an adequate amount of iron to his diet to get him back on track. The important thing is that you found the issue and you'll get it taken care of.

My kids are much older, but I used to make pizza with fettucini sauce and spinach and ham. I chopped the spinach up really fine before I put it on there and they really liked it. It's not the most healthy thing with the fettucini sauce but it was good :).

Don't get upset. i have twin girls THAT ARE 2.5 NOW and one's iron was low AND THE OTHER WS NOT. they gave me A diet for her and by the next visit it was fine. You also need to remember if they had run it again his hgb might have been 11. I am a mlt and alot could be with the collect of the sample also. One thing that was on the diet was grits and they love grits so try that too. Keep your head up, 10.4 is not that low it could be worse. Good luck!P.S. I NEVER HAD TO USE THE DROPS

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, things just happen. If you are doing everything you can to help him get his iron, don't worry about it. It will eventually work itself out. My son eats chicken, cheese, pasta, bread, milk and juice (and of course anything sweet) and that is IT!!!! Just be thankful you have a kid that will eat. Also, keep in mind that kids arent' supposed to have formula after 1 year because the sugars in it could rot out their teeth. Ask your dentist about it.

I would just ask that they recheck it. The health dept can do a finger stick to check it.
That same thing happened to my son who is now 18 months.
I had taken him to the doc and they said his hemaglobin was low and put him on iron drops. I took him to the health department like the next day and his hemaglobin was fine. That was without giving him iron drops. I called the doc and told them his hemaglobin was fine and I would not be giving him the drops.

As a nurse I am sure you must know how hard iron is absorb! Also some people are just more prone to being anemic. I am one of them and I have taken such care to keep it with normal only to be tested many times to find out what I am doing is not quite enough! I understand your frustration! Okay, so for starters it is only a wee bit low so breath and relax! I have had an even tougher time when pregnant so here is what I have learned with struggling 11 times to keep it in a optimal level! Vitamin c helps with the absorption of the iron and some forms of iron will only constipate you and you absorb very little from them. There are herbal forms of iron that are easier to absorb and are less prone to cause constipation. What has worked best for me is an iron plus C that doesn't constipate. Okay... yea ...I sell the brand I take but that is because after using it for 25 years now, I was telling people about the products and decided I might as well be doing it as a business. If you want to know what it is you can contact me. Tablets can be crushed and put in his food. Most people I know who have tried the drops find constipation to be a big problem. Look into the high iron foods and also try giving him more of those too since he eats well. Is he on a multi with or without iron? Just some things to consider. I here your frustration... but remember you cannot change genetics you can only work to overcome them! I am sure you are a great Mom and just a few tweaks to what you are doing will have his iron within normal very soon!

Sincerely!
K. F

Please do not let anemia scare you. I have been anemic my entire life and notice no side effects from it. (It is more common in women) You are doing the right thing giving him drops, but his number was not that far off. My mother is also anemic (And a registered nurse) and she has never thought it was anything to be overly concerned with.

If he eats well, keep doing what you are doing and don't beat yourself up any longer! K.

Bless you heart! You're trying so hard and now this. You know being a nurse that the body can only absorb so much of anything! I would take hime OFF the iron as the next thing is he will not be able to have a bowel movement! Try giving him raisins for a snack. I have avised O.B. patients who could not tolerate the iron supplement to do this for years and IT WORKS! As far as the milk, again, I would do formula rather remember that you trying to give him calcium. Anything that grows beneath the ground is high in calcium!The formula and the drops may actually be putting him on over load. I know that you want what is best for your child. Remember that ALL of us are different to include little people! Try more the the natural "thing" and I know that you will find that everything will work out for the better. I'm not a "naturalist", I only know that sometimes we get too carried away with all of the wonderful technology that is out there and forget that God created us and all of the things that we need!So.....Please let me know how things go and try not to stress. Your baby needs a happy mom who's not worried that she's not doing the right thing!You are a good mom!! Rmemeber that:)

Hi, I wouldn't be too concerned at the moment. My fourth child, a son, was breast fed for a year. When we started him on solids, he ate like a horse. We made most of his baby foods and kept him away from junk, sugar, and much meat. He also drank and still does, only rice milk. At his check up, his iron level was extremely low. I can't remember exactly but lower than your son's. I was freaked out and they started him on iron drops 3x a day. When we did our follow up, the iron drops had not helped (not to say it won't help your son) His ped said that that must just be normal for his body. At his 2 yr check up, when we got the results back his iron level was normal. We had not changed any of his diet. Wait and see what happens. Each child is unique. There may not be any need for panic.