Iron Deficiency Anemia

Pallor and fatigue

What is it?

Iron deficiency anemia is a condition in which a child’s body lacks enough iron to make sufficient hemoglobin — a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. This results in a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body, leading to fatigue, weakness, and pallor. Red blood cells are microcytic and hypochromic. (Small and less red).

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Symptoms

Shortness of Breath
Especially with exertion
Fatigue
The child has less energy
Spoon-shaped nails
Due to decreased nutrients to nails
Pallor & cold extremities
Pale Skin and cool hands and feet
Pica
Pica is craving non-food items such as dirt
Poor Growth
Slow growth and development. Poor school performance

Treatment

  • Foods rich in iron include red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, leafy green vegetables, and fortified cereals
  • Iron supplements (Oral or IV, depending on severity).
Eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, leafy greens

F Fish

O Oysters

R Red Meats

E Egg Yolks

S Seeds

T Tuna/Tofu

I  Iron-Fortified Cereals

A Apriccots

L Legumes/Leafy greens

Iron Supplements

  • Take with Vitamin C (orange juice, tomato juice) to increase absorption
  • Better to give between meals but may administer with food if clients gets nauseous
  • Liquid may stain teeth (use a straw)
  • Do not take with milk (calcium ↓ absorption)
  • Side effects: nausea, vomiting, black tarry stool, constipation
  • Eat fiber to avoid constipation
  • Keep away from children. Toxic in large amounts
Take with Vitamin C to increase absorption

Diagnostic Labs

  • Complete blood count (CBC): measures the levels of various blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Small and Pale RBCs
  • Ferritin: measures the amount of iron stored in the body. LOW
  • Serum iron: measures the amount of iron in the blood. LOW
  • Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC): measures the amount of transferrin in the blood – a protein that binds to iron and transports it throughout the body. HIGH. Why high? Think about it.  There is not enough iron so there are a lot of empty binding sites.
  • Transferrin saturation: measures the amount of iron bound to transferrin. LOW
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