Let go of \”calcium\” and pay attention to \”iron\”! The damage caused by iron deficiency is irreversible

Through repeated studies of scientific parenting, many parents have a preliminary understanding of their baby\’s healthy diet, growth and development. Regarding the \”calcium deficiency\” issue that aunts are most concerned about, we can also treat it calmly. In a family, as long as the baby maintains a rich diet, adequate milk supply, and balanced nutrition, there will basically be no calcium or iron deficiency. However, there is one nutrient that we must be vigilant about missing, and that is iron! Why are babies prone to iron deficiency anemia? Most babies born at full term only have enough iron reserves to last until 4 to 6 months, but as the baby grows and develops, their own demand for iron is also increasing. If the baby does not take in iron-rich complementary foods in time after adding complementary foods for 6 months, or the iron in the complementary foods is not enough to further ensure that the baby gets the iron needed for normal development, it is easy to cause iron deficiency anemia. . Therefore, this is what many parents are wondering, why does the baby still develop anemia when he is already eating and drinking well? When a baby eats well, it doesn’t just mean that the amount of food he eats reaches the standard. It is also important that the food is rich and balanced. If you have a baby who usually has a picky eclipse, you need to pay more attention to the problem of anemia. What are the dangers of iron deficiency in babies? When iron deficiency occurs in the body, it is generally divided into three stages: ▶ The first stage is the iron reduction period (ID), which is manifested by a decrease in serum ferritin without obvious harmful physiological consequences; ▶ The second stage is the erythropoiesis iron deficiency period (IDE) ), manifested as low appetite, and the baby is prone to being irritable and uninterested in the surroundings. Iron deficiency in babies under two years of age can impair cognitive abilities that are difficult to recover even with iron supplementation. The terrible thing about iron deficiency in infancy is that it can lead to irreversible neurodevelopmental damage, and this effect can last until adulthood; ▶ The third stage of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is characterized by hindered physical development, reduced physical strength, and susceptibility to infection disease. Iron deficiency in babies does not occur \”all at once\”, but is a long-term process. And during the period of latent iron deficiency, parents cannot tell. When you can really \”see\” that your baby is iron deficient, the situation may already be serious. Therefore, parents should prevent their babies from iron deficiency in daily life. How much iron do babies need and where do they come from? According to the \”Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents (2013)\”, the daily iron requirement for children of different ages is: 0-6 months: daily iron requirement 0.3mg, the main source is breast milk and formula milk; 6 Months to 1 year old: The daily iron requirement is 10mg, the main sources are breast milk, formula milk, meat, animal blood, animal liver, fish; 1-4 years old: The daily iron requirement is 9mg, and the maximum intake can be tolerated The dosage is 25 mg, and the main sources are breast milk, formula milk, meat, animal liver, animal blood, and fish. * Among them, animal blood must be purchased through regular channels; the vitamin A content in animal liver is too high, so it is recommended to eat it once a week. The diagnostic standards established by the WHO believe that children aged 6 months to <6 years old are diagnosed with anemia if their hemoglobin (Hb) is less than 110g/L. Mild anemia has a hemoglobin between 110-90. The main common anemia groups are infants and young children. Pregnant women;Between 60 and 90 is moderate anemia; between 30 and 60 is severe anemia; below 30 is very severe anemia. Scientific prevention of anemia and iron supplementation are the key (1) Mild anemia. For babies with mild anemia, parents can supplement their babies with the following foods to increase their iron intake. For babies who are not anemic, prevention is also good. The first choice for iron supplementation is high-iron supplements rich in heme iron. Among them, iron-fortified rice noodles are the most convenient. Meat, liver, blood, etc. are also key foods for making high-iron supplements. Meat supplements: various red meat purees (lean beef, lean lamb, lean pork, etc.). Liver food supplement: Eat various liver pastes (pork liver, chicken liver, etc.) 1-2 times a week, a small amount every day. Animal blood: pig blood, duck blood, chicken blood, etc. (pay attention to the purchasing channel). Characteristics of iron-rich foods: heme iron from animal sources, meat, fish, liver (1-2 times/week), high absorption rate (15-30%), iron from plant sources, black sesame seeds, winter vegetables, black fungus, and tofu The absorption rate is not high (3-5%). Vitamin C can promote absorption. In fact, some plants are also rich in iron, such as black fungus, seaweed, and black sesame. However, since plant foods contain non-heme iron that is not easily absorbed by the body, consuming vitamin C-containing foods such as kiwi, fresh dates, orange fruits and fresh green leafy vegetables in the diet can help these plant sources of iron Absorption. The absorption rate of iron from animal sources is high, with the absorption rate of iron in red meat reaching 30%, and the absorption rate of liver reaching 35% (eat 1-2 times a week, a small amount every day). The absorption rate of iron in fish is also good. (2) Moderate or severe anemia: When parents suspect that their baby has symptoms of iron deficiency, they can go to the hospital for routine blood screening to see if there is anemia. If iron deficiency anemia is diagnosed, the doctor will guide oral iron treatment. Some parents may think that dietary supplements are good, but dietary supplements are slow. Iron deficiency will cause irreversible neurological damage to the baby. Medicinal supplements are effective and can minimize the neurological damage caused by iron deficiency! Among them, cereals, dairy and tea can inhibit the absorption of iron. Fish, meat, vitamin C, etc. can enhance the absorption of iron. Regarding the problem of iron deficiency in babies, prevention should be the priority, because iron supplements are really hard to eat! In addition, when babies eat iron-supplementing foods or supplements, they should stagger the time with calcium-supplementing foods and do not eat them at the same time to avoid affecting the absorption of both parties. Are these iron supplement methods rumored to be true? (1) Is egg yolk the best supplementary food for babies to supplement iron? The traditional concept of iron-supplementing food supplements is actually not the strong point of egg yolks, because the absorption rate of iron in egg yolks is not high. Egg yolk provides more important nutrients, such as riboflavin, lecithin, vitamin A, etc. (2) Can eating more spinach, which is high in iron, supplement iron? Among vegetables, spinach, amaranth, etc. are plants with high iron content. However, because spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid, it will interfere with the body\'s absorption of non-heme iron. At the same time, as a plant food with trivalent iron, its own absorption rate It is relatively low, and the absorption rate is negligible after considering the above factors. (3) What is the iron-supplementing effect of red dates and red beans? When it comes to iron supplementation, 99% of people will think of red dates and red beans. But their iron content is not high, and the absorption rate is also relatively low. For example, the iron content in dried red dates is 2.3mg/100g, and the absorption is less than 5%. Using red dates to supplement iron is a bit whimsical. (4) Cooking in an iron pot can always supplement iron, right? Cooking in iron pots can indeed increase the iron content in dishes, but this source is called metal contamination from cooking utensils. When cooking, scraping the iron pot with a shovel will cause trace amounts of debris to come into contact with acidic substances and turn into iron ions and mix into the food. However, the absorption rate of this non-heme iron is not high, only about 3% or less. And once rust is absorbed by the body, it will affect the liver. Therefore, it is recommended to use a fuel-saving non-stick pan, which is healthier. (5) Is trace element testing reliable for iron deficiency? If complementary foods are added correctly, there is no need to worry about iron deficiency. But now many parents and even some primary medical institutions use trace element testing to determine whether babies are iron deficient. Here again, parents are reminded that trace element testing of iron levels in the body is completely nonsense! If someone again suggests that you do trace element testing, please be sure to refuse decisively. Currently, clinical practice can determine whether a child is iron deficient by testing the hemoglobin value in the blood. Note: According to WHO standards, the lower limit of hemoglobin concentration for children aged 6 months to 5 years is 110g/L. (6) Is it effective for mothers to take iron supplements and then breastfeed their babies? No matter how much iron a nursing mother takes, she can only ensure that she is not anemic and cannot replace her baby\'s iron supplement. If your baby\'s anemia is not caused by iron deficiency, but is caused by other reasons (such as thalassemia, hemolytic anemia, etc.), in this case, you should go to the hospital and receive professional treatment, and you cannot blindly supplement iron.