Hemoglobin in children and its norm is an important indicator of health. High hemoglobin in a child Hemoglobin child 7 years old

The level of hemoglobin in the blood varies widely, it is influenced by many factors:

• Child's age
• health conditions
• Availability infectious diseases at the time of research
• The amount of iron stores in the body

Table of hemoglobin norms by age

In utero, the child is adapted to life without the functioning of the lungs - oxygen is supplied to the baby with the mother's blood. This was also reflected in the blood counts of the child in the first month of life.

Norms for children under 1 year old

During the first day of life, hemoglobin the newborn is significantly different from the norms of other ages - within 180-240 g / l.

This is due to the fact that another type of hemoglobin protein functions in utero in a child - fetal, the functions of which are determined strictly for intrauterine existence. Immediately after birth, it begins to rapidly disintegrate, at the same time, a normal human protein appears in the blood.

The massive breakdown of fetal hemoglobin causes some children to have a slight yellowness of the skin on the second or third day of life, but you should not worry in such a situation.

During the first month of life, the hemoglobin norm is high - up to 175 g / l.

When the child is in the second month, the level drops and becomes habitual - 110-140 g / l. At this time, there is practically no fetal hemoglobin in the blood.

In the later years of life, the lower limit of the norm rises slightly, and by the age of 12-15, its blood level should be at least 120 g / l (as in an adult).

What determines hemoglobin in the blood

1. From age. It has been detailed above.
2. Hemoglobin is part of erythrocytes, so the amount of hemoglobin and erythrocytes depend on each other. There are two factors that determine the level of hemoglobin:
   • The number of red blood cells produced in the bone marrow
   • The number of degraded erythrocytes in body tissues and in the spleen
   • An imbalance between these processes leads either to an increase or decrease in the level of erythrocytes and, accordingly, hemoglobin.

When can excessively high hemoglobin be detected?

• Many blood diseases lead to an increase in hemoglobin levels, for example, polycythemia, when the content of all formed elements in the blood increases due to their increased formation in the bone marrow. With some types of leukemia, a significant increase in leukocytes (more than 50 * 10 12 / l) falsely increases the number of erythrocytes.
• Often chronic diseases respiratory system lead to permanent elevated level hemoglobin in the blood. This is due to the insufficiency of the respiratory surface in various lung diseases, and therefore the body stores more oxygen in the tissues, which requires an increased number of red blood cells.
• For diseases of cardio-vascular system an increase in hemoglobin levels is often observed.
• With dehydration, there is an increase in the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells, that is, a false increase in their levels. Often this happens with infectious diseases of the intestine, accompanied by nausea, vomiting and profuse loose stools.

Low hemoglobin in children

In practice, however, cases of a decrease in hemoglobin and erythrocytes ( anemia) are observed much more often:

• Low hemoglobin is often found in a child during infectious diseases. The reason is an infection that causes the deposition of red blood cells in the internal organs, and on the periphery - just where the analysis is taken from - the blood becomes slightly diluted and contains fewer formed elements than usual. A decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells during an infectious disease is called anemia of inflammation. You should not be afraid of this, you should not try to immediately treat anemia either, if the values ​​\u200b\u200bare not critical. Need to retake general analysis blood after recovery, and, depending on the indicators, prescribe appropriate therapy.
• Often the cause of anemia is a lack of iron intake, as a result, hemoglobin has nothing to form from. In such situations, a complete blood count can often reveal microcytes- reduced erythrocytes. Even ordinary gastritis can cause impaired absorption of iron from food consumed, and anemia will occur in children even when eating food rich in this trace element.
• Another reason for a decrease in the level of red blood cells is frequent bleeding, for example, from the nose. And in teenage girls when becoming menstrual cycle uterine bleeding may occur.
• The level of red blood cells decreases with some hereditary diseases - sickle cell anemia, thalassemia and others. At the same time, erythrocytes acquire an unusual shape, the detection of which indicates the disease.
• The level of hemoglobin may decrease after a heavy meal, but not significantly and not for a long time.
• They affect the performance and technique of taking blood and the position of the child during the procedure: lying hemoglobin will always be slightly lower. And if, while taking blood from a finger, a nurse diligently presses on the tip of a finger, this will dilute the blood entering the pipette with intercellular fluid, and the result will be slightly lower than the real values.

How often should hemoglobin levels be monitored in children?

• Do not worry too much and take your child to be tested for no reason. Everything must be done according to the indications and on the recommendation of a doctor.
• If you notice that your child has become unusually pale, tired quickly, lethargic, inactive, it may be due to anemia.
• All children suffering from chronic diseases should be registered with a doctor, who, according to the instructions, sends them to a check-up, including a complete blood count, with a certain regularity.

Are the norms different in premature babies?

In the first month of life, the hemoglobin norms of full-term and premature babies different.

With prematurity, the lower limit of normal will be less. At the birth of a full-term baby, the lower limit is 175-180 g / l, premature - 160 g / l.

By a month, the hemoglobin level in term-born babies is not lower than 115 g/l, while in premature babies it is -100 g/l.

In the first year of life, all children born ahead of time , tolerate anemia, and often the hemoglobin values ​​​​fall to 70-80 g / l, which requires a blood transfusion. All these differences are formed due to the immaturity of the body of premature babies.

What are the risks for a child with an altered hemoglobin level?

Hemoglobin is high

1. Thrombosis of blood vessels due to thickening of the blood.
2. Pathology of the spleen, which can significantly increase in size.
3. Hemosiderosis internal organs- deposits of excess iron in the cells and tissues of organs, which leads to a violation of their function. Especially dangerous for the kidneys.

Hemoglobin is low

Increased risk of infectious diseases in a child due to reduced immunity.

Chronic anemia leads to chronic hypoxia of the baby's organs and tissues (insufficient oxygen supply), which can eventually cause disturbances in their functioning.

Is it worth it to increase the level of hemoglobin in a child and how to do it?

Of course it's worth it. But to raise hemoglobin with a diet or use medications, parents should decide. together with a pediatrician.

A slight decrease in hemoglobin levels can be adjusted by proper nutrition by increasing the amount of foods with a high iron content in the diet - liver, red meat, buckwheat, all vegetables and fruits of red and burgundy color.

It is important to know that the level of hemoglobin does not increase instantly, noticeable changes will not occur earlier than in a couple of weeks.

Higher levels are more difficult to bring back to normal. As a rule, up to a certain level, you just need to observe the baby, since in most cases an increase in hemoglobin in the blood is a compensatory-adaptive reaction of the body.

To diagnose a variety of diseases, a variety of laboratory tests are carried out in childhood. In this case, it is determined normal hemoglobin in children. A decrease or increase in indicators indicates the presence of certain diseases.

Hemoglobin is a protein found in the body of all people. Hemoglobin norms in children are determined according to age. In a monthly baby, the norm is quite high and can reach up to 175 g / l. From the second month of life normal rate ranges from 110 to 140 g/l. During this period, fetal hemoglobin in girls and boys is practically absent. What hemoglobin should be depends on the age of the baby.

What affects the score?

Hemoglobin in a child can be at different levels. Its performance directly depends on a number of provoking factors, which are:

• Kid's age. The highest level of hemoglobin in the blood is observed in infants immediately after their birth. After the expiration of several children after the birth of a baby, a gradual decrease in indicators is observed. That is why when determining the protein in the blood, the age of the baby is necessarily taken into account.
• Baby nutrition. If a child is breastfed after birth, then a decrease in their indicators is observed in an extremely rare cases. If the age of a small patient is more than a year, then a violation of the protein value is observed against the background of not proper nutrition.
• health conditions. An increase or decrease in the value of hemoglobin can be diagnosed against the background of various pathological processes.
• Pregnancy and the process of childbearing. The health of a woman during the period of bearing a baby can affect the indicators. If severe blood loss was observed during the birth of the baby, then this can cause violations. Also, hemoglobin indicators depend on multiple pregnancy, features of umbilical cord ligation, date of birth, etc.
• genetic factors. If a woman has abnormalities in the level of hemoglobin in a normal state of health, then this situation can also be observed in a baby.
• Seasons. You autumn and winter time the child is more rarely outside compared to winter and summer.

There are many factors that negatively affect the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

Table by age

What is the norm of hemoglobin in children depends on age. Permissible limits are shown in the table

Child's age	Norm of hemoglobin in g/l
For children under one year old	175-110
2 years	105-145
3 years	110-140
4 years	110-150
5 years	110-150
6 years	11-150
7 years	115-150
8 years	115-150
9 years	155-150
10 years	115-150
11 years	115-150
12 years old	115-150
13 years old	115-155
14 years	115-155

By age, the table indicates the average values. In some cases, there is a slight decrease or increase in indicators that depend on the individual characteristics of the patient. In a child at 1 year old, the indicators stabilize. On average, in childhood, the pigment norm is 11-160 g / l.

The amount of protein between the ages of 12 and 18 also depends on the gender of the baby. At 12-15 years old, in girls, the amount of pigment is 112/152, and in boys, 112/160 g / l. At the age of 15 to 18 years, the amount of pigment in girls is 115-155, and in boys - 117/160 g / l.

Elevated blood hemoglobin in a child

An increase in pigment in children is normal only if they are less than 6 months old. After the newborn reaches this age, a gradual decrease in indicators should be carried out. With the appearance of pathology, the patient is diagnosed with the occurrence of erythrocytosis. With the disease, an increase in the density and viscosity of the blood is observed, which greatly complicates the process of its movement through the vessels.

With untimely treatment of the pathological process, the appearance of blood clots and clots can be diagnosed. Against this background, blood vessels are clogged. Patients can also develop strokes and heart attacks.

Hemoglobin in children can increase against the background of various diseases or exposure to adverse factors. With dehydration in a year and at a later age, the occurrence of pathology is observed, which is explained by thickening of the blood. The pathology is caused by infectious processes in digestive system in which vomiting and nausea are diagnosed. The patient may be diagnosed with the disease diabetes, large burns, acute respiratory diseases, in which fever is observed.

Reasons for the increase in performance

The pathological process appears in diseases of the respiratory system of a chronic nature. This leads to the development of respiratory failure and a compensatory increase in the size of red blood cells, which will supply oxygen to the body. Protein deficiency is diagnosed in chronic heart failure, which appears against the background of congenital heart pathologies.

A decrease in indicators in patients can be diagnosed against the background of erythrocytosis. In this pathological process, the formation of blood cells is activated. The number of leukocytes increases with a variety of kidney diseases, which are characterized by an excess production of erythropoietin.

An increase in pigment in the blood is observed in children who live in the mountains. With excessive physical exertion, a pathological condition can develop. If a child stays in a dry room for a long time, which is characterized by a decrease in humidity, this can lead to pathology. In adolescence, an increase in pigment is observed against the background of smoking.

The level of hemoglobin in children can increase for a variety of reasons, which is why parents need to be careful about their health.

Symptoms of high hemoglobin

If the child's hemoglobin rises, this does not mean that the corresponding symptoms will develop. If there is a significant deviation of the indicator from the norm, then the baby's appetite may worsen. Most children become drowsy and tire excessively quickly even when doing everyday activities. Some children often complain of headaches. When examining a small patient, an increase can be diagnosed.

How to lower the level of hemoglobin in the blood of a child?

An increase in pigment in a baby is a common symptom of a health disorder. That is why, in order to stabilize child's hemoglobin level, he needs to undergo appropriate diagnostics.

If a baby of one year of age or older has suffered a certain disease, then an increase in pigment is carried out using medications. They should be chosen only by the doctor in accordance with certain characteristics of the patient. The dosage of the medicine is determined depending on the age of the baby.

In order for the amount of protein to be constantly in the norm, the child is recommended to provide the right diet. It must necessarily include products that include products with a large amount of iron. With an increase in indicators, a child needs to eat turkey or white chicken meat. Also, the patient's diet should include legumes and fish.

children school age treatment is carried out with the use of hirudotherapy. Leeches have a positive effect on the walls of blood vessels, provide their strengthening, as well as eliminate the possibility of their blockage. In some cases, doctors recommend the use of drugs that are characterized by the presence of a thinning effect on the blood. With the help of medicines, the normalization of its coagulability is ensured. Self-administration of medications is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to a variety of complications. Quite difficult in this case is bleeding.

During the treatment of increased pigment in the blood, it is necessary to monitor the humidity in the room. If the air in the room where the baby is located is excessively dry, then this requires the installation of a humidifier. In the absence of this device, it is recommended to install containers with water near the batteries.

Low hemoglobin in a child

If hemoglobin in a child, then this indicates the occurrence of a pathological process. In some cases, the occurrence of a pathological condition is diagnosed with certain provoking factors. In most cases, the decrease in performance is observed at night. If the child ate before taking the tests, then his results will be unreliable. This is due to the fact that the protein in the blood becomes less during the digestion of food. That is why the child needs to refuse breakfast before the analysis.

If the lower limit of the pigment is regularly and persistently reduced, then this becomes the cause of more serious diseases. The baby at 6 months and older has malfunctions immune system, which causes quite serious pathologies. There are several types of anemia:

• iron deficiency. The pathological process develops against the background of insufficient production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. Pathology develops if vitamins and iron enter the body in insufficient quantities.
• Avitaminous. The occurrence of pathology is diagnosed with a regular lack of vitamins in the body.
• Hemolytic. The occurrence of anemia is diagnosed with the destruction of red blood cells and their reduction in size.

When blood is taken for analysis in a supine position, a decrease in the amount of pigment in the blood will be observed. Often there is an ingress of interstitial fluid into the blood during sampling, which leads to a slight decrease in the size of the pigment. This is due to the fact that during blood sampling, excessive compression of the patient's fingertips by the laboratory assistant is carried out. A constant decrease in pigment in the blood leads to anemia in children.

Causes of low hemoglobin in children

A decrease in the amount of pigment in the blood can be observed against the background of other causes that are quite serious. Often this symptom indicates:

• autoimmune diseases;
• Oncological pathologies;
• Dysbacteriosis;
• Atrophic gastritis.

If the baby has a variety of blood diseases, then this can cause pathology. A decrease in indicators is diagnosed with iron deficiency. If the child's work is disrupted gastrointestinal tract, this often becomes the cause of pathology. It appears against the background of acute respiratory diseases, the duration of which is more than 4 days.

Hemoglobin levels can decrease against the background of various provoking factors, so it is recommended that they be excluded from the baby's life without fail.

Symptoms of low hemoglobin

If the rate of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, then this leads to the appearance of certain symptoms. In most cases, they manifest themselves in the form of a decrease in the appetite of the baby. Paleness of the inner surface of the eyelids is also diagnosed. In some children, dizziness is often observed with a decrease in indicators. With untimely treatment of pathology, the onset of muscle weakness can be diagnosed without apparent reason. In children, with a decrease in pigment, fainting is observed.

When a pathological condition appears, most children are diagnosed with a drowsiness disorder or suffer from insomnia. Affected children become excessively pale skin. The pathological process is accompanied by dryness of the epithelial integument, as well as peeling. Some patients have subfebrile temperature. White spots may appear on the nails with a decrease in the amount of protein.

How to increase hemoglobin in a child?

With a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, the child often develops. The pathological process requires emergency treatment. When a pathological condition appears in a newborn or children of preschool and school age, it is necessary to urgently carry out treatment. In this case, it is recommended to consult a doctor first. Only a specialist after an appropriate diagnosis can prescribe adequate treatment.

If a small patient is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, then treatment is carried out with the use of iron-based drugs. In most cases, patients are prescribed:

• totems;
• Ferronata;
• Maltofer, etc.

The use of drugs should be carried out in a course, the duration of which is from 6 to 8 weeks. If in infancy the patient is diagnosed with a decrease in pigment to 85 g / l, then the condition is critical. In this case, a blood transfusion is performed. If after a year a decrease to 70 g / l is diagnosed, then this requires a similar situation.

In order to normalize the amount of pigment in the blood, the use of safe methods is recommended. One of them is to ensure proper nutrition for the baby. The diet should consist of sea fish, lean meat. It is also recommended to consume legumes and vegetables. In order to ensure the fastest possible absorption of iron, it is necessary to consume red fruits. Patients are advised to prepare a rosehip decoction and dried fruit compotes. In this case, the consumption of fermented milk products is quite effective.

How often should hemoglobin levels be monitored in children?

For a child, hemoglobin is quite an important indicator. That is why it is recommended to carry out its control irregularly. If we take into account the WHO recommendations, then the control of the amount of pigment in the blood in children should be carried out once a year. If chronic diseases occur in the baby's body, then hemoglobin in the blood should be determined regularly.

In order to explore children's body right, it is recommended to take into account certain rules and nuances:

• If blood sampling is carried out in the supine position, this will lead to a decrease in performance.
• When a hemoglobin test is performed in the evening, this will lead to a decrease in performance. The same situation is observed after eating.
• When donating blood, a healthcare worker should not put excessive pressure on the finger of a small patient. Otherwise, this will lead to a decrease in performance by 5 percent or more.
• Often, blood is taken from a vein to determine the size of the pigment. With prolonged application of the tourniquet, the occurrence of vascular stasis is observed, which will lead to an overestimation of the protein value.

How often you need to take an analysis can only be determined by a doctor. In this case, the individual characteristics of the patient, as well as the presence of concomitant diseases, are determined.

Hemoglobin is a fairly important indicator in the body. With its help, the identification of various diseases that occur in the body is carried out. With an increase or decrease in hemoglobin, emergency treatment is recommended, which will limit the possibility of complications.

Iron deficiency anemia, caused by low hemoglobin levels, is one of the most common childhood diseases. And therefore it is all the more strange that parents usually have very poor ideas about anemia in general, and about hemoglobin norms in children of different ages, and about how to increase hemoglobin in a child. Meanwhile, with hemoglobin, "jokes are bad" - after all, prolonged anemia can cause a baby not only chronic weakness and endless colds, but a serious developmental delay ...

Many parents mistakenly believe that low hemoglobin in a child indicates a lack of sufficient iron in his body. What often occurs in children chronic fatigue, apathy and lack of motor activity and appetite. In fact, this is not entirely true. Low hemoglobin is not always caused by iron deficiency in the body ... We will explain in detail - what's what.

What kind of "fruit" is hemoglobin, and why do children need it?

Hemoglobin is a special kind of protein found inside red blood cells (erythrocytes). And one of the most important functions of hemoglobin is that it can attach oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules to itself.

Thus, it is thanks to hemoglobin that the organs and tissues of the whole organism are saturated with oxygen: erythrocytes with the blood flow “rush” like trolleys throughout the body. At the same time, a worker-hemoglobin "sits" in each trolley, and keeps with him, as much as he can "carry", oxygen molecules that he previously "gained" in his lungs.

"Flying" past certain organs and tissues, he is like a postman, delivering to everyone the necessary amount of priceless oxygen. At the same time, it picks up carbon dioxide molecules (“waste oxygen”) and delivers them back to the lungs.

What happens when hemoglobin is low

Accordingly, if there is not enough hemoglobin protein in the child's body, then the oxygen exchange in the tissues is also disturbed. In medicine, a low amount of hemoglobin, and an insufficient number of red blood cells in the blood, is called the beautiful word "anemia".

Moreover, one must understand that there are quite a few types of anemia, and each type has its own reasons for occurrence.

Some types of anemia in children

For example, acute anemia in children often occurs as a result of an injury with blood loss (when the amount of blood and the number of red blood cells in the child’s body decreases sharply for a while). Also, anemia can occur with frequent. However, as soon as the blood level returns to its physiological norm, anemia will also disappear by itself.

Another likely type of anemia in children is hemolytic. It arises due to the fact that red blood cells containing hemoglobin, although they are produced in sufficient quantities, for one reason or another are destroyed without having time to fulfill their function.

In addition, often anemia in children may be accompanied by any chronic illness(for example, diseases of the kidneys and the gastrointestinal tract).

The most common type of anemia in children is the so-called Iron-deficiency anemia.

Why does iron deficiency anemia occur in children?

As the name implies, this type of anemia in children is somehow connected with iron. What?

The fact is that anemia can occur not only because red blood cells are destroyed or suddenly disappear somewhere (as is the case with blood loss). Because of what, in fact, the level of hemoglobin falls. Anemia also occurs when red blood cells (and hemoglobin along with them) for some reason are not produced in sufficient quantities.

The bone marrow is responsible for the synthesis of red blood cells in the human body. However, this body can work only under certain conditions - in the presence of a sufficient amount of certain vitamins and iron. And when in the child's body there is an overexpenditure of all iron reserves, and it begins to be clearly not enough for the production of red blood cells - this is where iron deficiency anemia occurs.

By the way, one of the signs iron deficiency anemia in children (and in adults too) is the appearance of white stripes and spots on the nails.

If you notice their presence in your baby, it makes sense to do a clinical blood test. It is this analysis that can, with the greatest degree of probability, confirm or refute the presence of low hemoglobin and anemia in a child. It is enough just to compare the hemoglobin index in the analysis with medical standards.

Hemoglobin norms in children: where is high, where is low ...

As a rule, both in a clinical blood test and in generally accepted tables, hemoglobin indicators are indicated in the ratio - grams per liter.

Hemoglobin norms in children up to a year

Hemoglobin norms in children older than a year

Iron deficiency and low hemoglobin in children under 6 months of age: where does it come from?

With newborn crumbs, babies and babies up to a year old, the situation is generally special. The fact is that a newborn baby and a baby have the opportunity to receive iron only either from or from. V breast milk the mother's iron content is very low, but thanks to the special protein lactoferrin, the child can absorb it, if not completely, then in fairly decent quantities.

Whereas with mixtures the situation is reversed - iron is present in them almost 3 times more than in breast milk, but it is absorbed by the infant's body with difficulty, barely.

In any case - both with and with artificial - the amount of iron contained in milk or formula is not sufficient for the daily needs of the child.

A reasonable question arises: where, then, does a small crumb - an infant up to a year old, who is not yet - take iron to satisfy his body's needs for hemoglobin?

Fortunately, nature took care of this. The fact is that even before birth, while the child is in the mother's womb, his body makes substantial iron reserves, which are usually enough for the baby for the first 5-6 months of "independent" life.

While still pregnant future mom should take care of the health of her baby, and strictly monitor the level of her own hemoglobin. Realizing that part of these iron resources is “taken” by her baby.

The easiest way to do this is to eat a large amount of iron-containing foods, or take iron supplements on the advice of a doctor.

It remains to add that it is impossible to “overdose” with iron-containing products - even if you really “try”, an overdose of iron will not work: the body will take just enough to replenish its reserve reserves, and the excess will simply not be absorbed.

Hemoglobin in children from 6 months to a year: a great thing is the start of complementary foods!

So, even before birth, the baby borrows from the mother's body such an amount of iron that allows him to fill his needs for the first 5-6 months. What happens next? How can a child continue to avoid anemia?

Thanks to the first complementary foods, which must be introduced into the baby's diet just from 5-6 months. In addition, pediatricians often prescribe a clinical blood test for babies just at the age of six months - in order to know exactly what the child's hemoglobin level is at the beginning of complementary foods.

A clinical blood test made by a modern hematological analyzer will not only show the level of hemoglobin in a child with the greatest accuracy, but also “tell” what kind of anemia “attacked” him - iron deficiency, hemolytic, posthemorrhagic (after bleeding), etc.

This analysis is especially indicated for those babies whose mothers experienced a lack of hemoglobin during pregnancy, but did not take iron supplements.

Depending on the level of hemoglobin in the child, the analysis test will show, the doctor will advise:

• or gradually introduce iron-containing “dishes” into the baby’s diet (this option is suitable when hemoglobin has not yet fallen, but has already approached the lower normal mark);
• or (if the mother is still breastfeeding) ask the mother to take appropriate iron supplements;
• or prescribe iron supplements to the child himself (which happens only if the iron reserves are completely “at zero”, hemoglobin is critically low and there is simply no time to accumulate a new iron reserve in the baby’s body).

Hemoglobin in children older than one year

In children, who gradually join the adult diet, iron stores are replenished naturally - from food.

However, even in older children, sometimes the hemoglobin level drops due to an insufficient amount of iron in the body (that is, iron deficiency anemia occurs). And in this case, also depending on the degree of depletion of iron stores in the child's body, with the "permission" of the doctor, this or that drug therapy is carried out (with the help of appropriate iron preparations).

What threatens low hemoglobin and anemia to children's health

A regular lack of oxygen affects all areas of the child's body. He quickly gets tired, cannot withstand even elementary physical exertion. The baby becomes In addition, over time, a serious lag may arise not only in physical, but also in mental development.

How to increase low hemoglobin in a child: about foods rich in iron

The first thing that both doctors and parents begin to talk about when faced with a diagnosis of "low hemoglobin in a child" is about iron-containing products. Indeed, there are iron-rich foods that are very beneficial to eat every day.

But! It is extremely important to understand: iron-containing foods, even if they consisted of iron alone and you would eat them with your whole family from morning to night, alas, are not able to solve the problem of anemia in a child or somehow significantly increase his low hemoglobin to the level norms. By no means! Foods rich in iron can only prevent depletion of iron stores, if such a threat exists.

In other words, an "iron" diet is only useful as a preventative measure - it can stop the development of anemia in a child, or prevent the complete depletion of iron stores. Since with such a diet, the increase in hemoglobin occurs very, very gradually, the reserves of the gland are replenished in the body slowly, which does not give quick positive results. And in cases where it is necessary to dramatically and significantly increase the level of hemoglobin in a child, you should not rely on food. However, every mother should know about them.

Foods rich in iron

As can be seen from the table, iron is found in both animal products (most often in this case it is referred to as “hemic iron”) and plant products.

Doctors believe that in children, hemic iron (that is, iron of "animal origin") is absorbed several times better than iron from plant products. Therefore, if for some reason the baby does not eat meat, fish, etc., he needs from time to time (on the recommendation of a doctor) to give iron preparations for preventive purposes.

The use of iron-containing foods in the daily diet is an excellent prevention of anemia and a decrease in hemoglobin levels in a child or expectant mother. But we recall that no products can quickly restore the level of hemoglobin to normal limits.

And when the situation requires more rapid and significant measures than just a diet correction, various pharmaceutical preparations containing iron (to which hematogen, by the way, does not apply).

Preparations for the restoration of iron stores in the body of a child: how and with what they are eaten?

Let's start with the fact that no medicines to raise the level of hemoglobin and restore normal iron content in the body can be prescribed independently - after all, your child's health is at stake. The drugs are prescribed by the doctor - and the specific medicine, and the duration of the course, and the features of its administration. All these nuances directly depend on the characteristics of iron deficiency anemia in a particular child.

If your child is taking a course of iron supplements, you may find it helpful to know that there are a number of substances found in certain foods that significantly interfere with the absorption of iron into the blood. And accordingly, literally nullify drug therapy. These products include:

• soy protein
• Calcium (and therefore all foods that contain calcium)
• Phytic acid (or the so-called phytates - substances that bind certain minerals, including iron, making them insoluble; phytates are found mainly in cereals)
• Dietary fiber (fiber)
• Polyphenols (they are found in excess in beans, nuts, tea, coffee, etc. products)

Thus, ideally, drugs that increase hemoglobin in a child should be taken strictly between meals. Moreover, it is categorically unreasonable to drink these drugs with milk (given the presence of calcium in it), but it is very reasonable to drink fruit juice (a component of which is often ascorbic acid, which does not prevent, but rather enhances and accelerates the absorption of iron).

Alas, many medicines that increase hemoglobin in children, cause them temporary side effects. Such as: loose and black stools, nausea, loss of appetite,.

However, in fairness, it must be said that over time, side effects, even if they appear, gradually decrease and disappear. Alas, as a rule, the course of taking iron supplements is always relatively long (about 2-3 months), and during this time any child's body has time to get used to and adapt to taking the medicine.

Hematogen is not a cure!

99 parents out of 100, ask them what is the most effective medicine for raising hemoglobin - they will probably answer: “hematogen”. Recall that a hematogen is a small slab of sweet-tasting mass, remotely resembling a chocolate bar. These tiles are sold, as a rule, in pharmacies, and are intended for adults and children as a prophylactic against the development of iron deficiency anemia.

In fact, the traditional hematogen, of course, is not a chocolate bar at all, but just an impressive clot of bovine blood, evaporated and processed, which was diligently sweetened for everyone's pleasure - with honey, sugar, coconut flakes and other "goodies". Nevertheless, both in the hematogen that was invented 120 years ago, and in its modern analogues, the iron content is no more than in ordinary foods rich in iron (only about 4 mg per 100 g of product).

One way or another, hematogen is not a means of speedy recovery from anemia and does not medicinal product to raise hemoglobin levels. Hematogen is essentially a food supplement, which, along with iron-rich foods, may well be involved in the prevention of anemia in children. In prevention, but not in treatment!

It is believed that once a year, every child, regardless of whether he is a year old or already 12, he was ill with something during this year or not, it is necessary to do a clinical blood test. First of all, just to check his hemoglobin and, if necessary, start adequate therapy.

It is highly advisable not to neglect this analysis, because unlike most other "childhood diseases", low hemoglobin is almost impossible to determine by external symptoms.

red blood pigment hemoglobin is a complex protein that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide from the lungs to tissues and, accordingly, from tissues to the lungs. A decrease in the hemoglobin index can be both physiological and pathological, indicating the possibility of a serious illness.

information The hemoglobin indicator in children does not indicate a specific diagnosis, but clearly indicates in which direction to carry out. It should also be noted that in a child the same indicator may indicate the norm or deviations depending on age.

Normal hemoglobin level in a child up to a year

The level of hemoglobin varies significantly in children, especially in the first year of life. The approximate norm of protein content in the blood in children under one year old is indicated in the table.

Child's age	Hemoglobin norm, g/l
1-3 days	145-225
7 days	134-215
15 days	125-204
30 days	100-180
2 months	90-141
3-6 months	95-135
6-12 months	100-140

Norm in children from 1 year

The normal level of hemoglobin in the blood in children aged 1.5-2 years is approximately 90-150 g / l. Approximate norms of hemoglobin levels from one year are listed below:

Anemia

The level of hemoglobin can vary within certain limits. Insufficient hemoglobin indicates presence of anemia.

The following table shows the hemoglobin levels and the corresponding level of anemia.

With a critically low level of hemoglobin (less than 70), children under 1 year of age have to undergo a blood transfusion.

Each degree of severity of anemia is characterized by certain symptoms and requires appropriate treatment.

Main symptoms of low hemoglobin:

• fast fatiguability;
• poor appetite;
• loss of strength, weakness;
• pale skin;
• sleep disorders;
• rapid weight loss;
• emotional imbalance, irritability;
• palpitations.

Decreased hemoglobin level

The level of hemoglobin falls physiologically between five in the evening and seven in the morning, as well as after eating. That is why it should take on an empty stomach in the morning. It was also found that when taking an analysis from a patient who is lying, the indicator will also be below normal.

additionally Sometimes the indicator is falsely low, when a health worker, when taking a blood sample, strongly squeezes his finger, which causes interstitial fluid to enter it, which dilutes the blood.

The most common diseases indicated by low hemoglobin levels are:

• chronic iron deficiency;
• blood loss;
• malignant pathology of the blood;
• Availability ;
• atrophic;
• autoimmune diseases;
• that last for a long time.

A decrease in hemoglobin leads to disruptions in the proper functioning of the entire immune system. Frequent decreases in hemoglobin require diet changes and visits to a gemologist.

You can raise hemoglobin by eating some foods: black caviar, dried fruits, lemon, honey, pomegranate and others that contain high levels of iron.

important When food is not enough to raise hemoglobin to normal levels, treatment is required. Most often, it is necessary to diagnose and treat a concomitant disease, which led to a decrease in hemoglobin. Diabetes mellitus.

should be diagnosed and ruled out serious illness blood or. After that, a special diet and a complex of essential vitamins are prescribed. Foods that contain a large amount of iron and cholesterol should be excluded from the child's diet. In particularly difficult cases, doctors may prescribe procedures with leeches. Their effect strengthens the walls of blood vessels and prevents blockage.

Sometimes it happens that tests show a high hemoglobin level due to the fact that the tourniquet for taking venous blood obstructed blood flow for too long.

In any case, stabilizing the hemoglobin level is sometimes not enough. The cause of the deviation should be determined and comorbidities should also be treated.