MotherBreastFeeding.com

The main cause of anemia in a newborn is iron deficiency. If your child's hemoglobin level slightly decreases, take it easy to buy special drugs. You'd better consider some hints for mothers.

Try to breastfeed. Mother's milk contains up to 50% of iron, which no other product can contain. Meat is characterized by the greatest absorption level, which is 23%.

If you choose formulas, be sure to compile a diet plan for your baby. Vitamin C, apple and milk acids (citruses, fruits, soul-milk products) contribute to better iron absorption. A child who gets 30 g of meat a day has a higher hemoglobin level than the one who gets only 10 g of meat.

Try to avoid giving whole cow milk until the child is 9 year old. A kid may have damaged mucous tunic, and, as a result, loss of iron.

Almost all kinds of tea and coffee hamper iron absorption. If a child starts to develop anemia - stop drinking those.

Breastfeeding will lower anemia risks not only in a child, but in a mother as well. Lactation restores the uterine size up to the pre-delivery one. You may prevent blood loss and will keep the iron level in the body.
Breastfeed and your body will absorb iron better, lactation process will increase iron level in your body.

Let's consider what hemoglobin is and why low hemoglobin level is dangerous.

Hemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells. Under normal resting conditions arterial blood hemoglobin is 98% saturated with oxygen. The primary function of red blood cells is transportation of oxygen from the lungs to all the cells of the body. Red blood cells also carry carbon dioxide from the cells to the lungs. The transportation process occurs because of binding between oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Anemia is the medical condition in which the number of red blood cells and/or the amount of hemoglobin found in the red blood cells is less than normal. In people suffering from anemia, red blood oxygen capacity drops, and an inadequate supply of oxygen to the body (hypoxia) develops. The deeper the anemia is, the more serious is hypoxia.

Hemoglobin is composed of proteins (globins) and iron-containing rings (hemes). Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. At iron deficiency, hemoglobin, which contains iron, cannot be formed.