- Iron is necessary for the formation of red blood cells in the body.
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| Tiredness and fatigue, such as symptoms of anemia. / Freepik |
These are the symptoms that warn of anemia in children
Anemia is a condition that appears when a person lacks the normal and necessary number of red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen to body tissues, or if they have a low hemoglobin level.
"Red blood cells are made inside the bones, in the bone marrow" and, therefore, every time we breathe we inhale oxygen, which is transported by these blood cells "to each of the cells of your body," Nemours Children's Health details.
In this sense, iron is necessary for the formation of red blood cells in the body and a lack of it can cause anemia, known as iron deficiency, although there are different types of anemia.
What are the warning signs?
Anemia caused by iron deficiency is the most frequent, especially in children, due to a diet that does not contain enough of this mineral. Also, another reason may be that too many red blood cells are destroyed, which is usually caused by an underlying disease.
Anemia may also occur from a loss of red blood cells due to bleeding. "This can be from obvious blood loss, such as with a heavy period, or slow, long-term loss, perhaps in the stool," they add in Healthy Children.
But how can we detect anemia in children? In many cases this condition can go unnoticed, although the most common symptomatology is the following:
- Pale or yellowish skin (jaundice).
- Pale cheeks and lips.
- Pink color inside the eyelids.
- Fatigue and tiredness.
- Weakness and dizziness.
- Fast heart rate.
- Irritability.
- Darker colored urine, like tea.
In more severe cases, more worrisome warning signs such as shortness of breath, swollen hands, and feet, fainting, or restless leg syndrome may appear. Also, they add in MedlinePlus, that anemia caused by low iron levels can affect attention span and cause learning problems in the little ones.
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