Toddler with anemia

[maize]

Dd1 is a bit anemic. That's pretty normal for my kids at this age, usually I start feeding them ground beef and that takes care of the problem. The trouble is that this child doesn't like to eat!

 

Any ideas?

[ktgrok]

I added a lot of baked beans and also added blackstrap molasses to anything I could. And orange juice with it, the vitamin C helps them absorb it. 

[MrsWeasley]

Have you had lead levels checked? My second had anemia, and we found out elevated lead levels probably caused it. :(

[Arcadia]

We gave multivits with iron liquid drops to DS10 when he was 9 months old. His blood test results were slightly anemic. Lead test was negative. His results were better at the 12 month and 15 month checkup. DS10 is like me, bad absorption of iron through food, even though he is not picky about food.

[mamiof5]

After 9 months pediatrician always recommended iron drops, since I breastfed them til close to a year. I believe the name is Polivisol? Can't remember the exact spelling. They are strong and yucky tasting though! I always had to give a little, and diluted in other stuff. Maybe Polyvisol. Just googled it because it was pestering me, yeah, Polyvisol...no need for prescription, it's over the counter

[Paige]

My girls were severely anemic at 1 and also were food refusers/ had an oral aversion. We gave them the drops and the pediatrician suggested multigrain cheerios. She said it had more iron than most foods and toddlers usually like it. It has 45% of daily requirements w/ 1 cup. 

[bolt.]

Polyvisol / multivitamin drops are multi-ingredient (which might be a good thing, if you need/want the variety -- not saying anything bad) but they also have fer-in-sol, which is just the iron. If my memory serves, it's the B-vitamins that taste bad in some of these... So plain 'fer' drops might be easier to use with babies.

[maize]

My girls were severely anemic at 1 and also were food refusers/ had an oral aversion. We gave them the drops and the pediatrician suggested multigrain cheerios. She said it had more iron than most foods and toddlers usually like it. It has 45% of daily requirements w/ 1 cup.

Thanks for the multigrain Cheerios recommendation, I hadn't thought of that.

 

When I've tried the drops in the past I've never had much luck getting the kids to take them. They do taste awful.

[maize]

Polyvisol / multivitamin drops are multi-ingredient (which might be a good thing, if you need/want the variety -- not saying anything bad) but they also have fer-in-sol, which is just the iron. If my memory serves, it's the B-vitamins that taste bad in some of these... So plain 'fer' drops might be easier to use with babies.

B vitamins might be bitter, iron is just--yucky metallic. I'll try the plain iron drops though.

[MrsRobinson]

We gave ds a half of a Flintstones chewable vitamin daily. There are several varieties, we chose the one with the most iron in it. His level was rechecked in 3 months and it shot right up well into normal range. That might work if your kiddo doesn't like the liquid drops.

[Arcadia]

Homemade beef broth? My DS10 wasn't digesting solids well at that age so we did lots more soups hoping for better absorption.

[displace]

There's a chewable peach flavored iron on Amazon by natural factors. It crushes into a powder or is chewable. But ask your Ped the dose recommendation.