Everything you need to know about the management of anemia in children

Approximately more than 65% of Indian children are consistently suffering from the problem of anemia. This is one of the most common blood-related problems that results from the body having fever red blood cells in comparison to the usual human body. Haemoglobin is a protein that enables the red blood cells to carry oxygen all over the body and anemia in this particular case will develop when there is be very high shortage of red blood cells in the human body. Anaemia usually is also considered to be a very common symptom of any other condition rather than a disease on its own. Sometimes it can be very temporary and further will be resulting from the blood loss or the inadequate diet. However, for many people, it is also a very chronic and ongoing condition-related symptom that could be potentially life-threatening as well. So, consistently taking the children to Paediatrician for regular checkups is definitely important so that everyone will be able to remain aware of the entire concept of anemia. If not paid attention to anaemia children will be leading to significant issues in the form of iron shortage along with loss of other nutrients which further will be impacting the growth of the children. The anemia in children will be a result of genetic conditions, poor diet or low levels of vitamin B12, infection, development of cancer, or any other kind of medical treatment.

Some of the common types of anemia that you need to know have been explained as follows:

1. Iron deficiency anemia: This will happen when there is not enough iron in the blood which is required to produce the hemoglobin.
2. Megaloblastic anemia: This is the situation which will be happening when the red blood cells are very large due to the lack of folic acid or vitamin B12 and this also creates issues in the form of absorbing the vitamin B12 on behalf of the body which is critical for making the red blood cells.
3. Hemolytic anemia: This is the situation in which the red blood cells are destroyed prematurely and will lead to a significant number of infections along with certain medications that will lead to multiple issues.
4. Sickle cell anemia: This is the situation that is inherited in the form of anemia where the red blood cells will be involved and will be abnormally shaped as well as malfunction in the whole process.
5. Thalassaemia: This is a blood-related problem that is characterized by a very low level of amount of oxygen in the protein further this is also known as an inherited blood disorder that is characterized by very little oxygen having protein, few numbers of red blood cells in the body in comparison to the normal situations.
6. Aplastic anemia: This is the situation in which the bone marrow of the body fails to produce enough blood cells and further this will create significant issues and damage to the body. This will be present from birth or can even happen due to exposure to radiation, chemotherapy, toxic chemicals, or any other kind of infection.
7. Diamond black fan anemia: This is the situation that is congenital and is usually infantile anemia which creates a low red blood cell count without substantially changing the other blood components which are usually normal
8. Some of the common causes of anemia in children as recommended by the best paediatrician are:
9. Loss of red blood cells: This could be because of the bleeding element or any other kind of related issues
10. The inability to reduce enough of the red blood cells: This will result from multiple conditions affecting the bone marrow or other associated processes in the entire system of the body
11. Destruction of the red blood cells: This could be any kind of disease or disorder that will lead through the destruction of the red blood cells
12. Very low count of red blood cells or hemoglobin levels: This could be due to the genetic defect leading to red blood cells, infection, medical conditions, certain medications, or lack of vitamins in the diet.

Some of the common categories of children who are consistently at risk of developing anemia are:

1. Children who have been born prematurely or have a very low birth weight
2. The children who are living consistently in poverty or have been belonging to a developing country
3. The children who have been excessively consuming cow’s milk
4. Children who have a diet deficient in iron or other vitamin vitamins and minerals
5. Children who have been experiencing blood loss due to surgery or accidents
6. Any concerned category of children who have been suffering from chronic diseases or infections associated with kidney and liver
7. Anyone who has a family history of inherited anemia could be very problematic to manage.

Following are the common measures that parents can take into account for preventing anemia in children:

1. Providing the kids with exclusive breastfeeding: The breast milk will definitely provide an efficient element of iron until six months of age and after the six months of age introducing the iron supplement is a very important decision on the behalf of parents but it should be done after consultation of pediatrics
2. Choosing the iron-fortified formula: If you’re using formula milk then you should always go for that particular option which is perfectly enriched with iron content in it.
3. It is important to avoid the milk of the cow before the age of one year: Since cow milk is very much insufficient in terms of iron, it can easily interfere with iron absorption which is the main reason that you need to have a good understanding over the basic element of absorption so that things are very well sorted out. Excessive milk from cows will inhibit iron absorption which is the main reason that avoiding it until the age of one year is definitely advisable.
4. Including the iron-rich food items: Once the children start to eat solid food items, offering them iron options like fortified cereals, egg yolk, red meat, potatoes, and tomatoes is definitely advisable in addition to raisins.

In addition to the points mentioned above it is also very much important for the parents to take the suggestion of gynaecologist in Banjara Hills because they will be providing the best possible suggestions to the mothers regarding the breastfeeding concept and further will be able to provide you with this specific plan of care subjective to the growth and development of the children. In this way, the issues of nutritional deficiency can be quickly resolved and ongoing care will be easily provided to kids so that chances of development of anemia will be bare minimum.