Low Hemoglobin Due to Virus?

As Tadpole said it can be from low iron. But I also have it from low B12. So I have to take supplements.

"Little low" isn't cause for alarm. Even "Low" isn't, unless it's a chronic thing. When you are fully anemic (which means you fall in a certain range below what is healthy) then they will continually test you. I get tested every three months. Then they will investigate possible causes - but it can be as simple as low iron from heavy periods, pregnancy, etc. Supplements or modified diet in many cases help.

So for "little low" and to retest her again in 2 weeks when she's feeling better - that's not cause for concern for me personally. I would think the doctor is just being thorough.

ETA: As for it being caused from the virus - not something I am familiar with, sorry didn't really answer your question.

hemoglobin is directly related to iron levels. if your daughter does not eat a sufficient amount of iron containing foods her level could be low. and i know when my kids are sick they tend to have a poor appetite, which could be causing the low levels. or she may have a more serious problem, i am not a dr so you should speak with your childs dr and find out how low is it and will an iron suppliment bring it back up.
if the dr thinks its due to poor appetite while sick the next test will show normal numbers. if its due to another reason the next testing will show the same result and the dr will tell you what needs to be done to fix it.

Low hemoglobin is common and rarely serious. One of my grandchildren has had low hemoglobin. He was given iron drops. I've had low hemoglobin as a child and as an adult. Treatment is to increase iron in diet and take iron pills. Easy to do.

I hope your daughter continues to feel better! Your doctor is 100% right, even though it doesn't seem to "make sense" without some background information.

Anemia is a characterized by a low amount of hemoglobin, which is found in red blood cells (RBC). It's purpose is to carry oxygen, so when your levels are low, you tend to have decreased energy, because the oxygen needs of the body aren't easily taken care of by the blood. There are 3 primary ways people get anemic - loss of blood, reduced production of RBCs, and destruction of RBCs. Other reasons can include specific medical conditions, or vitamin deficiencies.

Your body makes RBCs in the bone marrow, which is also where it makes the white blood cells (WBC) that your body uses to fight disease. So when you are sick & fighting an infection (such as a virus), it can cause lowered hemoglobin & anemia, because the "factory" was processing a priority order.

Long story short, don't worry about it for the next two weeks. Depending on your daughter's age, the type of virus, how long she was fighting the infection, and how healthy she was when everything started, the effect on hemoglobin can vary. If the levels are still low, her doctor can then assess other functions to pin-point the cause, which often is due to low Vit B12 or Iron, both of which can be taken care of with diet or supplements for a period of time.

This link explains everything I have above in much more detail, & is very user-friendly to understand. Don't panic when reading it! It does list a variety of reasons (very thorough) but just because 3 items are listed doesn't mean that all 3 are as likely to happen.

http://www.news-medical.net/health/Causes-of-anemia.aspx
(I can't get it to fully hyperlink, you'll need to highlight, & then copy/paste into your browser)

T. :)

I don't know how old your daughter is, but if she happened to have her period while being sick, that might be the cause of her hemoglobin being a little low. I know that mine was often a little low when I was sick while I was on my period, because I never ate well, and I lost iron while bleeding.

Also, it's not uncommon for a child's chemistry to change a bit while they are sick. Their whole system is off, their immune system is low and their defenses are down. I wouldn't worry too much about this until the doctor comes up with a reason into worry. Doing a recheck in a few weeks is a common practice, and chances are, things will be fine.

Until then, try to feed your daughter a balanced diet, with an emphasis on foods rich in iron (leafy greens, red meat, etc) and have her get lots of sleep. If the next test comes back a little low, be sure to ask what you need to do, and if a supplement is needed.

Best of luck, and remember to breathe!