The characteristics of a baby with iron deficiency and how to overcome it

Not only adults, babies also need nutritional intake, one of which is iron. Iron deficiency can have the potential to interfere with the baby's growth and development. Get to know the characteristics of your baby's iron deficiency and how to deal with it appropriately.

Baby's need for iron

Before discussing how the characteristics of a baby who is deficient in iron, it's a good idea to first know how iron needs your baby is.

Iron is an important nutrient for babies. The reason is, this one nutrient is needed in the formation of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that functions to transport oxygen and distribute it throughout the body.

If iron intake is not fulfilled, hemoglobin formation is inhibited so that red blood cells cannot form completely. An insufficient number of red blood cells can cause a child to develop anemia due to iron deficiency, which is commonly called iron deficiency anemia.

The baby's need for iron is constantly changing. This means that as the baby gets older, the need for iron also increases. When you are less than 6 months old, this need can be met by breast milk. Unfortunately, after more than 6 months, breast milk is not able to meet these needs.

When met at an MPASI product launch event at Kota Kasablanka Mall (31/10), Prof. DR. dr. Saptawati Bardosono, MSc, a medical nutrition professor stated that breast milk is only able to meet less than 10 percent of the iron requirement for babies after 6 months of age.

That is why, to prevent the appearance of iron deficiency symptoms in babies, your child needs nutritional intake from complementary foods with their breast milk.

Symptoms that appear when the baby is deficient in iron

There are several characteristics that may arise when your baby is deficient in iron, the baby's iron needs are not met. For example, he became limp and didn't like to play. In fact, they often choose to be silent and do not care about the environment around them.

At an advanced stage, the symptoms that are shown from a baby who is deficient in iron are tired easily. The reason is, when iron deficiency, the baby's immune system will decrease. This makes him more prone to persistent infections. For example, babies go on to experience coughs, colds, fever, and diarrhea alternately.

In addition, his thinking power is also hampered because of delayed brain development. This has the potential to reduce the baby's intelligence so that it is not the same as its peers.

If the condition for this unmet need for iron is left unmet in the long term, the baby may develop iron deficiency anemia. In fact, anemia due to iron deficiency can also lead to stunted growth in children and lead to stunting, with the characteristics of a short child's body.

Overcoming iron deficiency babies

One of the main causes of iron deficiency babies is the lack of parental attention to the iron content prepared in solid foods.

Professor and doctor who is familiarly called Prof. Tati revealed, "Often parents pay more attention to carbohydrate content and only include vegetables without actually calculating iron intake and other nutrients in complementary foods."

For that, as a parent, how to deal with the characteristics of a baby who is deficient in iron you need to really pay attention to the content of solids that are given.

So, what if your child hasn't reached the age of 6 months? Infants younger than 6 months cannot eat solid foods. That is why, if breast milk is not enough, iron deficiency in infants can be overcome by using supplements on the recommendation of a doctor.

Supplements should only be given when the baby is three months old, in the form of syrup or drops.

Prof. Tati advises not to give supplements to babies who are 6 months old.

"Supplements for babies who can eat complementary foods can only be given if giving complementary foods rich in iron does not work," said Prof. Tati.

Usually, this condition occurs when the child has iron deficiency anemia. This also includes the prevention of experiencing children stunting .

However, keep in mind that long-term supplementation may have certain side effects. The reason is, too much iron in the baby's body can disrupt the mucous membranes in the intestines and affect the bacteria in them.

You should consult your doctor if giving complementary foods high in iron does not have much of an effect, and your baby is still showing signs of iron deficiency. That way, you can find the right way to solve it.

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