https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 12 Nov 2026 09:44:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1675423 Tue, 03 Jun 2014 12:38:28 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1675423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mdf106: Good news! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1675298 Tue, 03 Jun 2014 12:00:00 +0000 mdf106 1675298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for your help. LO's level had been 9.6, and it is up to 11.2, in the normal range. We are back to just using poly-vi-sol with iron, which we probably should have already been using anyway. He is also getting into table food, and really likes chicken. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1635525 Thu, 15 May 2014 09:00:19 +0000 Revel 1635525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mdf106: I think that might have the same issue as the toe stick because of the small volume of the sample. The regular blood draw is no fun on a little one but maybe it's worth asking about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1635472 Thu, 15 May 2014 08:51:19 +0000 mdf106 1635472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@revel: They did a finger stick. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634893 Wed, 14 May 2014 21:56:05 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1634893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: I guess my last post didn't go...vit C def helps! We have added tons. And I also got a cast iron pan :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634851 Wed, 14 May 2014 21:21:02 +0000 Revel 1634851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How did they test LO's levels? At our 9 month check our girl's came back at a 9 from a toe stick, which they considered very low, but they wanted to retest before supplementing because I guess the toe stick reading can be artificially low if the iron starts to hemolize while they're taking the sample. When they retested her with a vein stick she was low normal. It was the difference for us between just giving a multivitamin and needing a strong iron supplement, so I was glad we retested before treating her. Might be worth asking if they will see you to retest sooner than three weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634328 Wed, 14 May 2014 16:32:24 +0000 regberadaisy 1634328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swurlygurl: I'm sold on the cast iron! Between LO's 18 month and 2 month visit her levels jumped 1.5. That's the biggest jump yet especially not on solely iron supplements! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634163 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:54:47 +0000 swurlygurl 1634163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: I've also heard that pairing nonheme iron with Vitamin C helps with iron absorption as well. Although spinach also contains a lot of Oxalic Acid (?? I think that's what it is?) which naturally inhibits iron absorption.</p> <p>I've lived my life being mildly anemic. I started using a cast iron pan to cook 80% of our meals now (not for iron purposes, just because I like the pan), and I haven't been anemic for over a year now! I had heard that cast iron pans release iron into your foods, but wasn't really sure about that. Seems to be helping me though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634145 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:47:34 +0000 mdf106 1634145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH called the pediatrician to confirm, and they said it was right. DH talked to the pediatrician originally, who said it was 20% low, but did not give a number, and DH did not ask. I have considered calling to ask. The pediatrician did not make any food recommendations. During the appointment, before the iron results, he was unconcerned about LO's low solids consumption, and seems to be in the "food before one is just for fun" camp. I am not opposed to using supplements, and have been doing so. </p> <p>LO's solids consumption is pretty low. It is a success if he finishes one pouch in two days, with 2-3 meals per day. We just started table foods. I gave him some ground beef yesterday, but I don't think he had any. He does seem to especially like pouches with spinach. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634123 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:39:56 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1634123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also it's hard to absorb non-heme iron (basically not from meat sources) so although a good might be high in iron, it doesn't mean that is what LO is getting. So sometimes supplements are essential. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634121 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:39:00 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1634121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's really hard to get enough iron from food to make up a deficit.</p> <p>No clear reason for is, but probably high dairy combined with acid reflux meds and genetics. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634057 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:07:25 +0000 Greentea 1634057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mdf106: yes, @locavore_mama: has really good advice. We do a lot of kale in smoothies because it has iron and vitamin c. Organic peaches are high in c and okay at that age. We also do mango. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634047 Wed, 14 May 2014 14:04:14 +0000 Greentea 1634047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mdf106: I really like novaferrum iron supplements. DD loves taking it. Also, are you including foods high in vitamin c? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1634020 Wed, 14 May 2014 13:54:41 +0000 regberadaisy 1634020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: did I already ask you this? But why does your LO have zero iron?</p> <p>@mdf106: Did they tell you what LO's levels are? At LO's 9 month check up we found out her levels were about a 3. Severely anemic and we later found out it was because she has thalassemia minor. Any she was on iron supplements for about 9 months before she finally climbed up to a about a 9 which was satisfactory for someone with thalassemia minor. At that point we switched her to a multivitamin with iron. At her 2 year checkup she's up to a 10!!! I guess somewhere around a 12 is "normal" for the average person.</p> <p>When the doctor told us how low her levels were we very consciously started to make she she had at least one iron rich food item at every meals. Dark leafy greens, meat, beans, etc. We also started cooking with a cast iron skillet. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption.<br /> The American Red Cross has a fantastic list of iron rich foods and talks about which foods are easier for the body to absorb the iron.</p> <p>When we filled LO's iron supplements the pharmacist was also taken aback because it was at the highest level allowed for her age. We called our ped to double check the prescription. You *can* overdoes on iron so I might call your ped if you're concerned about whether the scrip is right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1633782 Wed, 14 May 2014 12:50:19 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1633782@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Look at this label...75mg of ferrous dal fate is equivalent to 15mg of iron. That makes more sense!</p> <p>[attach=689/14/n5ks7w.450x600.image.jpg]</p> <p>This is what I was giving because the pharmacy was out of fer-in-sol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1633775 Wed, 14 May 2014 12:47:37 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1633775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My lo had zero iron at his last check. My ped said to give at least 2 droppers of fer-in-sol (15mg per dropper) per day. My lo is 15 months.</p> <p>Here's a link to my blog post on iron:<br /> <a href="http://babymakingmerrygoround.blogspot.com/2014/05/zero-iron.html" rel="nofollow">http://babymakingmerrygoround.blogspot.com/2014/05/zero-iron.html</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/low-iron-1#post-1633753 Wed, 14 May 2014 12:40:17 +0000 mdf106 1633753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does anyone have experience with low iron. My LO tested low for iron at his 9 month appointment. His iron was 20% low, which the doctor seems pretty concerned with. I did not actually talk to the doctor, DH did, and he rarely asks questions. He recommended 60 mg of iron supplement a day, which seems like a lot. The pharmacist also thought this was a lot. We are going back to have it re-checked in three weeks.</p> <p>I feel really bad about not being vigilant with supplements before. I tried to give him poly-vi-sol with iron before, and he would just spit it out, and would not drink it even in a bottle. Fortunately now he is taking it okay. LO is not eating much solids yet, and is breastfed. I was slightly anemic during late pregnancy, but it was easily resolved with supplements. </p>