Breastfed son anemic

At seven months, at a sick baby appointment due to a fever, blood work was taken and my son was diagnosed as anemic due to a hemoglobin level of 10.2. It was checked two weeks later, this time blood taken from his arm rather than his finger and the level was 9.7.

He is now on iron supplements, 15 mg twice a day. I'm confused. He seems very healthy and I thought with iron from breast milk and some iron fortified cereal that he should be fine. Should I be concerned if his levels stay low when they check him again. I asked the doctor what the "norm" was based on, i.e. if primarily formula-fed babies or a mix of both, but she did not know. Do breastfed and formula fed babies have similar levels of hemoglobin? How common is it for breast fed babies to be anemic?

Thank you.






Dear Dawn:

Your son is a big boy! Is he eating a good amount of solids, or meats? During the last 2 months of your pregnancy your baby stores up the iron he will need for the first 4 to 6 months of life. If you were anemic at that time, his stores will run out early.

At 8 months of age he needs some foods that are high in iron. Iron fortified cereal or meat. Breast milk is actually low in iron, but the iron in your milk is very bioavailable. That means that although there is not a lot, it is quite readily available. My son also was anemic. He did not care for meat in any form. If you are nursing, giving meat and cereal and your sons iron levels continue to drop then your doctor will be looking to find a medical reason for this. If it is because of diet, increasing cereal, meat and giving iron should take care of it. Normal iron level is 12 - 18.

Hope everything works out OK.

Denise G. Hewson RN IBCLC





 

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