Symptoms of Iron Deficiency in Children

Symptoms of Iron Deficiency in Children
Iron deficiency in children can lead to iron deficiency anemia, which is most common in children within 3 years of age. Mostly after 3 or 4 months, the fetal iron reserves are used up, and breast milk contains little iron. Children become pale (lips, eyelids, nails most obvious), loss of appetite, irritability, shortness of breath after activity, pulse rate, but also liver, spleen enlargement, xenophagia, small babies can be apnea when crying (back over the gas); toddlers and school-age children can be hyperactivity, inattention, poor comprehension, classroom do small movements, and so on. It can also lead to reduced immune function and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Hemoglobin is 9-11 g/100 ml in mild cases, 6-9 g in moderate cases, and less than 6 g in severe cases. Small red blood cells, small cell anemia.

Methods of iron supplementation
1、Eat more iron-rich foods
There are two forms of iron in food: non-heme iron and heme iron. Non-heme iron mainly exists in plant foods, due to the interference of other food components, the absorption rate is very low, the absorption rate of iron in rice and noodles is only 1% to 3%. Heme mainly exists in animal food, not interfered with by other food components, absorption rate is higher, such as liver in the iron absorption rate of 10% to 20%, can let everyone make up for iron and blood more fully.

2, eat more food to promote iron absorption
Vitamin C can promote the absorption of iron, vitamin C is a strong reducing agent, can make the iron in the food into absorbable ferrous iron, kiwifruit, citrus, oranges, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C. The vitamin C is a strong reducing agent, can make the iron in the food into absorbable ferrous iron.
Drinking tea before and after meals will inhibit iron absorption.
3、Eat fortified food
In milk powder, rice flour, soy milk, there are a lot of specially added iron, “iron” in the fortified food food labeling are specially indicated, choose the appropriate purchase can be.
At present, there are two kinds of fortified food on the market, one is fortified according to the national standard for baby food, containing 6-10 mg of iron per 100 grams; the other belongs to the special iron fortified food, containing up to 40 mg of iron per 100 grams. The latter is not suitable for babies. It is recommended to supplement iron and vitamins at the same time.
“Iron pot iron” is a misrepresentation, in the Chinese traditional meal cooking, the most used cooking utensils are iron pots, spatulas, there are reports that the use of iron cooking pots, can increase the intake of iron. In this regard, in the nutritional community, the standard saying is that cooking food in an iron pot may increase the amount of iron in the diet, which is only possible, not certain.
Some people think that eating food with high iron content with milk, more conducive to iron absorption, this view is also incorrect, because a variety of food containing iron must be converted into “ferrous” in the digestive tract to be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, in the process of conversion, milk in the phosphorus, calcium is easy to react with other substances, resulting in insoluble iron-containing compounds, but is not conducive to human absorption. compounds, but not conducive to human absorption, therefore, drink milk 2 hours before eating iron food is more appropriate.

Don’t overdo iron supplementation
Excessive iron toxicity, may directly corrode the gastrointestinal mucosa, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, black stools, abdominal pain and gastroenteritis and other symptoms.
Zinc deficiency symptoms
1, loss of appetite: picky eaters, anorexia, refusal to eat, generally reduce the amount of food, the child has no sense of hunger, do not take the initiative to eat;
2, messy eating strange things. For example: biting nails, clothing, gnawing toys, hard objects, eating hair, confetti, raw rice and so on;
3, slow growth and development, height 3-6 centimeters lower than that of the same age group, weight 2-3 kilograms lighter;
4, low immunity, frequent colds and fever, repeated respiratory infections such as: tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, sweating, night sweats in bed, etc.;
5, white spots on nails, long barbs on fingers, map tongue (irregular red and white shapes on the surface of the tongue);
6、Hyperactivity, slow reaction, poor concentration, poor learning ability;
7, vision problems: vision loss, which can easily lead to night vision difficulties, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, etc.;
8, skin damage: when trauma occurs, wounds do not heal easily; susceptible to dermatitis, persistent eczema;
Zinc deficiency causes
Zinc deficiency symptoms are more common in the growth and development of babies, the main reason for zinc deficiency is due to irrational dietary structure, nutritional imbalance resulting in insufficient intake of zinc. Zinc’s physiological function is to promote growth and development. If a baby is deficient in zinc, the physiological functions of the baby’s body will be disturbed.
Chinese Academy of Preventive Medical Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, the latest survey results show that China’s children and teenagers, zinc deficiency rate of up to 60%, which 60% of the children’s daily zinc intake is less than half of the recommended amount of the WHO, that is to say, every two children in one of the zinc deficiency!
Zinc supplement method
1, eat more zinc-containing foods: lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken hearts, fish, oysters, egg yolks, wheat germ, sesame seeds, walnuts, millet, radish.
Baby zinc deficiency