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? • Exclusive breast feeding for the first 4 to 6 months of life followed by the timely introduction of semisolids is an important step towards controlling iron deficiency in children. • Cooking in iron pots/vessels can have useful health effects. F
