Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in children – Discharge instructions (The Basics)

What are discharge instructions? — Discharge instructions are information about how to take care of your child after getting medical care for a health problem.

What is anemia? — Anemia means not having enough "hemoglobin" in the blood. Hemoglobin helps red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. If your child's hemoglobin level is low, their body might not get all the oxygen it needs.

Anemia can happen for a few different reasons. A common reason is not having enough iron. This is called "iron deficiency anemia" or sometimes "low iron."

Your child can have too little iron because:

●They do not get enough iron in their food.

●They have lost a large amount of blood.

●Their body cannot absorb enough iron from food.

How do I care for my child at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for your child. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

You should also:

●Be sure that you know the strength of any iron supplements, and how often your child should take them, if your doctor suggested these. Your child might need to take iron for several months. Do not give them more medicine than the doctor told you to give. Large amounts of iron can be harmful. Give the iron supplement only as instructed by your doctor.

●Let your child rest. Feeling tired is a sign of anemia. Your child might need to rest or sleep more often. It can take some time until their iron level returns to normal.

●Give your child foods to eat that are rich in iron. Foods with the most iron include meats, seafood, lentils, and cereal with added iron. Foods with some iron in them include prunes, raisins, apricots, dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans, and peas.

●Try to give the iron supplement with orange juice or foods that are high in vitamin C, like oranges, strawberries, broccoli, or tomatoes. This might help them absorb more iron from their food.

●Avoid giving your child cow or goat milk if they are younger than 1 year old. If your child is over 1 year of age, avoid giving them more than 20 ounces of milk per day.

Iron pills sometimes cause belly pain, constipation, or diarrhea. If this happens, talk with your child's doctor or nurse. They might give your child a lower dose of iron or have them take the iron every other day. The doctor or nurse can also help manage any other side effects from the iron.

What follow-up care does my child need? — Your doctor or nurse will tell you if your child needs to have a follow-up appointment. If so, make sure that you know when and where to go. Your child might need to have more blood tests.

When should I call the doctor? — Call the doctor for advice if:

●Your child's bowel movements are bright red, dark red, black, or tar colored.

●Your child has fainted.

●Your child has belly pain or vomiting after taking iron supplements.

More on this topic

Patient education: Complete blood count (CBC) (The Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron (The Basics)
Patient education: Nutrition before and during pregnancy (The Basics)
Patient education: Restless legs syndrome (The Basics)
Patient education: Angiodysplasia of the GI tract (The Basics)
Patient education: Medicines for chronic kidney disease (The Basics)

Patient education: Screening for colorectal cancer (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Blood donation and transfusion (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Anemia caused by low iron in adults (Beyond the Basics)