In a message dated 3/4/2002 11:08:58 PM Central Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Hemoglobin was 86 and
> five days later dropped to 76. Doctors blame it
> on bf, saying that breastmilk is very filling (most of the time doctors say
> it is no good after 6 months, so it is an unusual statement). Mom was
> allowed to keep 2 nursings a day, no nursings at night (gives diluted juice
> instead).
Natalie: I have no idea if the doctors have been checking the boy's
hemoglobin again since these measurements you mention, but iron levels can
drop in children just prior to an illness. May be nothing more than that.
I would definitely be concerned that breastmilk (which has been
scientifically shown to have incredible nutritional value well into early
childhood) has been replaced with diluted fruit juice (which is nothing more
than sugar water, really, with almost no nutritional value). The iron in
breastmilk is highly absorbable (much more so than solid food), so by
continuing to breastfeed at least he'd be getting that.
Dairy products and soy proteins do greatly inhibit the asorption of iron and
can actually cause iron-deficiency anemia in toddlers. (I notice the child
is getting a lot of cottage cheese and kefir.) Vitamin C, however, enhances
iron absorption. Combining Vitamin C-rich foods with iron-rich foods may be
helpful.
There are some practical ways of getting extra iron into a child by using
dietary changes. BUT, I don't know how much of these foods the mother can
get in Russia, and I don't know if the child (who is already solid-resistant)
will eat them. I make the list anyway in the hopes there is something on the
list he will enjoy that will boost his hemoglobin.
Iron-rich foods:
prune juice (undiluted)
beef
lamb
chicken liver
calf liver
oysters
potatoes (with the skin left on and eaten)
beet greens
kale
lentils
artichokes (especially Jerusalem artichokes)
dried peaches
figs (especially black mission figs)
chili with meat and beans
pumpkin seeds
blackstrap molasses
A great natural iron supplement includes a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
with 250 milligrams of Vitamin C daily.
There are some great herbs that can enhance a child's appetite as well.
Dandelion root and agrimony are appetite-inducing herbs. (I forgot to
mention them in a previous post I made on this subject.) Nettle, alfalfa,
burdock root, parsley, and chickweed are all herbs that can enhance iron
levels naturally. The mom can make an infusion with any of these herbs (or
any combination of them). She can take a handful of the dried herb(s), place
in a quart of boiling water, steep for two hours, add honey or juice to
sweeten, then strain the herb from the infusion. The child can drink a cup
of this strained infusion daily.
Hope this helps, and I hope something works for this mom and child!
Jessica Harrison Carlyon, MBA, CD, CLE
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