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Iron
Deficiency is Preventable
Anemia is considered to be present
when the child's hemoglobin is lower than the normal for his given age
and sex. Iron is used by our bone marrow to make hemoglobin, the
red pigment of the red cells. By far, iron deficiency and its resultant
anemia is the most widely prevalent nutritional disorder affecting the
world population today, particularly pregnant and lactating women, infants,
young children and adolescent girls. Prolonged and /or severe deficits
of iron in early childhood years may have lasting implications on the health,
functions and the development of an individual in later life.
Why do children become anemic? Young children have increased demands
for iron as compared to adults as they require it for the growth of their
body tissues. Inappropriate feeding practices, worm infestations, frequent
infections, cultural practices and the onset of menarche in girls add further
stress upon the delicate iron balance of the body.
How to recognize iron deficiency and anemia in children? As most of the children develop iron
deficiency gradually and over a period of time, the disorder does not produce
alarming or acute symptoms. Such children appear pale, weak, tend to eat
less and become easily tired even in the early stages of the disease.
As the deficits continue, they develop palpitation, exercise intolerance,
poor weight gain, frequent respiratory and intestinal infections and craving
for inedible items such as crayons, chalk, clay, etc. As iron is crucial
for brain metabolism, these children have poor attention spans, impaired
learning ability and scholastic performance. Many of the signs and symptoms
of the deficiency are often subtle and mild in the early phases and can
be missed easily.
How to prevent iron deficiency?
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