Your child suffers from an iron deficit if he or she does not have enough iron in his or her body. The human body needs iron to produce a protein called hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is needed for carrying oxygen in the blood from the lungs to all the cells in the body, and the cells therefore can do their work. The human body is not able to produce iron itself, and for this reason, it is very important that your child consumes enough iron. It is hard to diagnose a deficiency of iron by only looking at its symptoms, as there are a lot of different symptoms that can be different for every person.
When your child suffers from a deficiency of iron, he or she can suffer from the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Behavioral problems
- Freguent infections
- Pale skin
- Cold hands and feet
- Slowed growth and development
However, most symptoms of iron deficiency in children do not appear until iron deficiency anemia occurs. Anemia is a medical term for when the blood does not have enough red blood cells, or hemoglobin. In the case of iron deficiency anemia, the blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells and is therefore not able to provide your body with enough oxygen.
As you could read, it is very important that your child consumes enough iron for his or her health. Children are also growing and developing a lot, and it is therefore even more important that they do not suffer from an iron deficit. Babies are born with iron stored in their bodies, but after 6 months, it is crucial that your child’s diet includes enough iron. In the following table, you can see the amount of iron that your child needs every day:
| Age group | Recommended amount of iron a day |
|---|---|
| 7 – 12 months | 11 mg |
| 1 – 3 years | 7 mg |
| 4 – 8 years | 10 mg |
| 9 – 13 years | 8 mg |
| 14 – 18 years, girls | 15 mg |
| 14 – 18 years, boys | 11 mg |
If your child does not consume enough iron every day, it is really important that you change his or her diet by adding foods rich in iron. The following foods are rich in iron:
- White and red meat
- Fish
- Pulses and beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
- Dried fruit, such as raisins, apricots, and prunes
- Tofu
- Eggs
Getting enough vitamin C is also very important for your child’s iron intake. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from food. This means that, even if you have an iron-rich diet for your child, it is also important that their diet contains the right amount of vitamin C. The following foods contain vitamin C:
- Citrus, such as orange, lemon, and kiwi
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage white potatoes
In short, it is very important that your child does not suffer from a deficiency of iron and that you, as a person with a parental role, keep the iron and vitamin C intake of your child in check.
Sources
- https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/iron-deficiency, healthdirect, 20-06-23
- https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/iron-deficiency-anaemia. Nhsinform, 28-06-23
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/iron-deficiency/art-20045634, mayoclinic, 28-06-23
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034, mayoclinic, 28-06-23
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/, hsph.harvard, 28-06-23
Source of pictures:
- https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/iron-rich-foods-gm1349812295-426213959?phrase=iron+deficiency+, piotr_malczyk, 28-06-23
- https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/iron-deficiency-anemia-and-normal-set-vector-illustration-difference-of-amount-of-gm1366777443-437210774?phrase=iron+in+blood, VikiVector, 28-06-23
