Iron deficiency anemia - children

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Formed elements of blood

Hemoglobin

Red blood cells, target cells

Iron deficiency anemia is a decrease in the number of red blood cells, caused by a lack of sufficient iron.

Anemia - iron deficiency - children

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in blood. Iron is normally obtained in the diet and by the recycling of iron from old red blood cells.

Babies are born with about 500 mg of iron in their bodies. By the time they reach adulthood they need to have accumulated about 5,000 mg.

Children need to absorb an average of 1 mg per day of iron to keep up with the needs of their growing bodies. Since children only absorb about 10% of the iron they eat, most children need to ingest 8-10 mg of iron per day. Breast-fed babies need less, because iron is absorbed 3 times better when it is in breast milk.

An iron deficient diet is a common cause of iron deficiency. Drinking too much cow's milk is a classic cause of iron deficiency in young children, because cow’s milk does not contain iron and inhibits absorption of iron. Iron deficiency may also result from blood loss in stool from a problem in the intestines.

A common time for iron deficiency is between 9 and 24 months of age. All babies should have a screening test for iron deficiency at this age. Babies born prematurely may need to be tested earlier. The adolescent growth spurt is another high-risk period.

Iron deficiency in children can also be related to lead poisoning.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.