My 14Mth Old Is Anemic!

My son had the same problem around 12 months and hated the iron supplements. We were lucky in that he was good eater and through same strange alignment of the stars and moon, we discovered he liked to eat greens. We gave him collard and mustard greens about 3 times a week...We used a brand called "Glory". It's a canned veggie, and I get it at Kroger. It's seasoned very well and he would eat it everytime.

No problems when we went back for the follow up.

Give it a try.
D.

My son takes the same drops. We make a big deal about the UGGY drops. He thinks it is funny and will take them. Just a thought. Whole Foods and Central Market also have a ton of baby/infant/toddler vitamins in liquid, gummy and pill form.

www.juiceplus.com

My son LOVES the JP Gummies and they are PACKED with whole food based nutrients, including iron.

He has not tested anemic since he started on Juice Plus two years ago.

Hope this helps you!

Hi L.,

My daughter's test came back the same way; just a hair on the anemic side. Her pediatricain suggested some vitamins that are like gummy bears and taste like cherry or strawberry. I am still in the process of getting them, she just had her test last Thursday, so I don't even know what they are called yet but I can let you know as soon as I find out if you'd like. Let me know if you are interested. My email is ____@____.com

Good luck!! :)

Hey L.,
Maybe if you find some foods that are rich in iron, it may help a little. They are loaded with Iron. I would definately consider a supplement, try Dr. Coopers vitamins, they actually have everything that it states on the label. Not sure if you know, but not all vitamins have what they state they do. I went to Cooper Institute for my fitness and nutrition certification. Dr. Cooper is the presidents doctor. Good food sources for iron are: Red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish tofu, pumpkin seeds,dried apricots, potatoes, peas, and beans. You can even get some cereal such as cocoa puffs, and cheerios. Make sure you ask doc about the supplement you get, they can cause constipation and abdominal pain. Never go over 200 mg with children, it can be harmful unless prescribed by a doc). I hope this helps you! Good luck!

Hi L.,

I have had to give my daughter Poli Vi Sol when she was smaller b/c her test came back that she was anemic too. I gave it to her with her oatmeal or something sweet like Roxana has stated below..You'd think they would come up with a better tasting vitamin when having to take Poli Vi Sol. I crinched when I smelled it too!

A.

Do you give him a multi-V? Sometimes its not the Iron you lack but the other thing that helps absorb it. Plus, if your child is breastfeeding, try changing your diet, take a Multi-V as well. You can buy the kids chewables and give him half of one. They think its candy. Also, you can try the Toddler Formulas (next to the infant formulas) with iron and put it in a fun sippy-cup (you just said cup, not sippy).

Good luck,
SAHM, TLee

Hi Linsdsey,
What a dilemma! I feel for you! I have an 11 year old who can't swallow pills because of a super gag reflex, yet has to take the world's nastiest, smelliest medicine. So, his dr. suggested we grind it up and hide it in Hershey's syrup. The strawberry flavor would work best for you since your precious one is so young. It is very thin whereas the chocolate is very thick and gooey. I would try mixing the drops in a half teaspoon of the strawberry syrup and then, if he won't take it straight (which he probably won't), mix that in some baby food fruit that he likes. I would suggest that you start off very small and work your way up to the required amount of vitamins since your son may just 'turn off' to any new flavor that is strong. I have one more idea that, quite frankly, didn't work for me because my son's meds are just too hideous to hide. But, I got this idea off of a website for parents of sick kids. You can melt choc. chips in the microwave, let it cool a little, then mix your med. in about a teaspoon of the choc. Put the puddle of choc/med on wax paper and freeze. Then it becomes hard candy with medicine hidden in it. I did it and made up a whole pan of cute little choc. drops...son gagged anyway. It sounds like a cute idea, it just didn't work for us. Good Luck!!! P. Schnorbach

Hi L., what I can tell you is that my son could not take those drops either, they taste really bad. What I did, was mixing the dropper with a very sweet yogurt, like strawberry or peach flavor. He loves yogurt so he would eat it with the drops inside. Try mixing it even with solid foods also, of course, do not ruin the whole meal, just mix it with a little bit of food. Hopefully he will swallow it. Best luck for you. Hope it helps.
R.

Hi L.,

I am by no means an expert, but I can tell you my problem. Have either you or your husband had problems with anemia? I have what is called Thalasemia (SP) anemia which can be a trait or a disease. I have the trait and it is asymptematic. I did not know I had it for years, but would periodically test anemic. My oldest daughter tested anemic at a check up and the Pediatrition pretty much said that I wasn't feeding her proberly. Turns out she has the trait as well, but it wasn't until several years later that I found that out. It usually is from Mediterrian or Asian decent heritage. They can test for this trait without going to a hematologist. They may have already tested for it and your son may not have it. Just thought I would let you know about this type of anemia.

You could try making juice pops for your son with the iron supplement frozen in it. Good Luck

M.

My first son had the same problem. I would give him the meds and he was throw it up. (it stains everything)What I ended up doing was doing a couple drops at a time. I would Give him one droplet then wait for a couple of hours then give him some more. Also I would put a little on the nipple of his bottle( I was unable to breast feed) You can also do this if you are breast feeding. It is a slower proces but it was the only was I could do it. THe throwing up will still cont. for a couple more days but after that it should stop.

Also your son may not be able to take iron. I was also anemic when I had my second son and everytime the doctors would give me any kind of iron I would also throw it up. Try asking the doc ifthere is anything else they can give him. (i'm sure you already have asked but. Also try and mix it with breast milk or reg milk just worm it up a little bit.

I hope this helps.
J. Thomas
SAHM of 5 kids

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on still breastfeeding! That is wonderful and so healthy for your baby! Are you still taking your prenatal vitamins? That is a great source for making sure you have enough iron to pass on to him.
Also, a friend of mine had a son with low iron. His pediatrician just suggested foods with more iron since he wasn't that low. I can't remember right now what she gave him but I think avocado was one of them and some bean. You might do a search and find fruits/veggies with high iron content and see if your son will eat them.
Like the other moms have said, make sure it's not something health related and then increase the iron-rich food in both of your diets.

Hi L.,
I'm also anemic. The doctors have tried iron pills and keep increasing the amounts, but am still anemic. I'm on supplements (powder form) that I believe will help, but it will take time (the body is amazing and heals itself when given the right natural supplements). The children's vitamins taste DELICIOUS! All 3 of my children enjoy taking them and look forward to taking them daily. You can find out more information on the website www.Mannatech.com or we have a meeting at the corporate headquarters every Tuesday night in Dallas, which is VERY informative. Usually doctors and nurses are available to answer your questions. Please call or email me if you would like more information.
Blessings,
A.
(Nutritional Consultant)
###-###-####
SAHM of 3 children and Nursing Home Administrator husband

Hi L.. I'm currently giving my 25 month old son the iron drops. His 24 month test showed his iron level was low. I have not been experiencing the challenges you are though. We put the drops in his apple juice (better to put in something with Vitamin C-absorbs in to the system better) and he drinks it up.

If your son eats a variety of foods, perhaps try foods higher in iron such as raisins or perhaps sweet potatoe. I think there are breads out there with extra iron as well.

Good luck.

K.

Hi L.,
I just found out my 15 month old has a low iron count on Friday. We are vegetarians so our situation may not be the same. I also am still breast feeding. Beans are a great source of Iron. We offer a bean of some sort at every meal, and Cohen loves them. I'm wondering how you are administering the medication.. dropper, seringe? I have not gotten my Rx filled yet, but with my experiences with meds, Cohen will not take medicine from a dropper, He only like the seringe. I guess maybe it goes in faster... Anyway, so i thought maybe since beans have so much iron, mix the medicine in with some beans and blend them up like refried, add some cheese, and viola. or so I hope. Tofu is also high in iron, throw a hand full of that in the blender with a banana and some yogurt..Or throw some in the blender with a clove of garlic and a dash of italian dressing, and you've got a great substitute for riccota cheese for a lasagna. As you can imagine, as a vegetarian, i've got tofu down... my son just eats cubes of it for a snack. But even with that, he and i are both low...Just thought of some thing else. Maybe try not giving it all at the same time. you know, sneaking a little bit in at every meal and snack. Well good luck.

Hi L.,
I have never had that problem with my child but my girlfirnd's little boy is anemic as well. Her little guy HATED polivisol or plain iron drops (and I know they smell and taste yucky becasue I work in the NICU and we give them to the babies all the time).
Anyway, it was recommended to her to give him ICAR Pediatric suspension. It comes as chewable tabs and as a suspension for the little ones. Try that. It taste yummy... good luck and let me know how it worked.
It has 15 mg of Iron per serving (which is a little more than in the Polivisol drops with iron). You can buy it over the counter but you still need prescription. Call your doctor's office so they can call into the pharmacy for you

Lilla

Hiya sista, try putting the iron baby cereal in his food and mixing it in. (like how mom put herbal tea in our orange juice, oatmeal and chicken noodle soup so we could stomach it.) At least this will give him an extra boost-o-supplement.

My daughter had the same thing...at the same age. We did the drops for a month and they did not work. Then they contacted a Hematologist at Childrens and they said that she had a Blood Disorder called Alpha Thalyssimia. We were ok with that, because all that it meant was that she made more red blood cells than most people, and it would really never be a problem.
Then we got pregnant again, and my husband and I had blood work done and neither one of us are Alpha carriers...which means that it was misdiagnosis. So, one year later, we now have an appointment with the Hematologist on August 11th. My pediatrician said it really isn't even that necessary, because even if her MCV levels are low...it isn't going to cause any health problems...it will just always look like she is anemic on blood reports.
We are going to go ahead and go for our peace of mind, however. So, I guess my point is, even if the drops dont' work...it isn't the end of the world. There are several factors that could be causing the low iron, that aren't traumatic. Hope that helps!

Hi L.!

My daughter has been on Juice Plus gummies since she was 15 months. It's a great way to get the nutritional benefits of whole foods: fruits, vegetables, and grains. It's not a vitamin supplement. My daughter's pediatrician recommended this and I had never heard of it. It is amazing stuff and it's backed by TONS of research. She's loves it...it's delicious. Our whole family is on it now....even my husband!

Good luck with everything!!

www.takejuiceplus4life.com

A.

Hi L.,
My pedi said they can write a prescription to have it flavored...Walmart pharmacy won't flavor meds but I think Walgreens will (or you may ask the one you use). You may ask your pedi if they will do that.

What I did was mix my child's vitamin--Poly-vi-sol--- in with her regular or flavored applesauce. Sometimes I also mixed it in her oatmeal which had the applesauce in it.

Hang in there.
K.

Hi L.
My name is I. and I work at a very good pediatrician's office in Richardson as the head medical assistant. What I recommend for our anemic babies is that if you can try mixing the vitamins in his milk or food or a little in both or a little at a time. There is no need to get it all at once as long as he gets his full dose in a day is all that matters. Alot of doctors don't tell you this but it works. Also increase all his green veggies. I will try and find you the name of some alternate vitamins you may try or you can ask the pharmacist or try a health food store. Also ask his iron level is it really low or just slightly? Get a copy for your records if you haven't yet. Also depending on his blood test results have they considered he may be a thalassemia trait carrier. It is normally found in people of eastern or ethnicites. Also are you or your husband anemic or does it run on the low end sometimes it can be hereditary. Well I do hope I have helped in some way or another. If you have any other questions, email me at ____@____.com Bless. I.

Hi, I didn't read all of your responses, so maybe someone else has already said this. Try taking an iron supplement yourself, and since he is still breastfeeding, he will get the extra iron from you. I had to take an iron supplemented prenatal vitamins while I was pregnant (I am and always have been anemic), and I didn't think to switch to a regular one until my baby was about 1 month old. He was constipated big time, which is what having too much iron can do to you. Of course, you should talk to either a pharmacist or pediatrician before doing what I've suggested. I'm not a doctor, just mom of three wonderful boys! :0)

Hi L.-

I never had to deal with your situation with my daughter, but when I was pregnant the iron pills would make me throw up. I don't know if your son is throwing up because of the taste of the vitamins or the iron's effects on his stomach. But what I did to alleviate the problem was to make sure and eat something before taking my iron. If I took my iron first and then ate something, I would still feel sick. So that's one idea you can do to try to keep the vitamins down: Try either breastfeeding him or giving him table food first and then give him the iron supplement. I hope you find a solution!

You should get tested too to see if you're anemic. If you are, you should take iron supplements and then your baby will get the added iron through the breastmilk. I was anemic when I nursed my baby and had to take iron supplements. Good luck!

That stuff is nasty. I found a great-tasting one with lots of iron and my daughter has taken it for about 2 years now. It is available at Whole Foods Market and Sprouts. It's called Schiff Children's Multivitamin (liquid).
Here is the manufacturer's web site:
http://www.schiffvitamins.com/productsearch_results.asp?p...

I think this is actually more common than we think because breast milk is not "iron fortified" like formula. Most of the time, as unfortunete as it is, the standard for all babies and toddlers is based off of formula fed babies. Not saying low iron isn't a problem, but who is to say the standard shouldn't be lower than it is, KWIM?

So, first I wwould try to determine if my child had any symptoms of low iron... fatigue, low energy, cranky etc. My toddler had slightly lower iron levels then they sd he should. He showed no signs of anemia, so I simply increased iron rich foods, made sure he was getting vit c with those foods, and it is normal. We never supplemented with any type of vitamin.

I have a hand out on iron rich foods and ways to increase their absorption. If you send me your email, I am more than happy to email it to you. Maybe that will help! My email is ____@____.com

Good luck and you aren't alone! Another resource might be La Leche League... it was helpful for me in terms of anemia!

E.

Yes, Poly vi sol is NASTY. Have you tried offering iron-fortified baby formula? I'm not sure how much you'd need to give him each day, but maybe mix it half and half with breast milk. Offer it at the same time every day (maybe replace one breast milk feeding). If you need to "doctor it up" to make it taste good, you could serve it warm or make a smoothie out of it (add bananas, toss it in a blender). There are also a ton of iron-rich foods you could try. Red meat is an obvious choice. I have two 16 mo olds (one mine and one I babysit) and they love meatballs. I make them up a few dozen at a time and freeze them. Let him dip them in ketchup if it helps. Also, dried fruits are high in iron - especially apricots. Green, leafy vegetables are good sources, too. You can chop fresh spinach and "hide" it in a pasta meal. Saute it and it will wilt and mix well with just about anything. I don't know if your doc mentioned, but calcium inhibits the absorption of iron, so try not to feed him high-calcium things at the same time as his iron. Don't let him wash down his iron supplement with a glass of whole milk!

L.,
I hear you. My son is 13 mo and won't drink his milk from anything but a bottle. I BF until 10.5 months and he took easily to the bottle w/formula then but that's about it-he HATES juice and sippy cups period. I did the tri vi sol and they are nasty. Will he eat oatmeal? I have a super picky eater, so maybe I can help you think of something to mix it in!! You know, too, I dunno if yours still eats baby food (mine won't), but the tri vi sol might be good in plums or prunes.

BTW, if you have any tricks for getting the baby to take any fluids in a cup, I'd love it!
R.