Hemoglobin is an iron-containing protein that is a part of red blood cells and is responsible for the transfer of oxygen through the bloodstream to tissues and organs, and also purifies it of carbon dioxide. To find out the level of hemoglobin, you can pass it to a common blood test from your finger.
Almost everyone knows that lowering the level of hemoglobin is an alarming indicator of the state of health. But not everyone is aware of the fact that excessively high hemoglobin is also a sign of trouble in the body. Meanwhile, many parents face such a problem in their children. Under certain circumstances, this can be regarded as a normal physiological reaction of the body, but the phenomenon of elevated hemoglobin in a child for no apparent reason can be a serious reason for a medical examination of the baby.
Why is hemoglobin raised in a child?
Elevated hemoglobin in newborns is a physiologically determined phenomenon after childbirth and fluctuates between 140-220 g / l. The fact is that such a large number was purchased by the child during the period of intrauterine development, thanks to blood supply through the umbilical cord from the mother. Usually within 2 weeks the hemoglobin level drops to the norm of 140 g / l.
High figures for this indicator are often one of the symptoms of a serious illness. The earlier the diagnosis of an existing disorder in a baby occurs, the more likely it is to be cured. The causes of increased hemoglobin in a child can be:
- blood disease;
- cardiopulmonary insufficiency;
- intestinal obstruction;
- congenital heart defects;
- oncology.
The increase in hemoglobin in the conditions described above is explained by the fact that the child's organism, having discovered a malfunction in some organ, activates all its immune forces to restore it. In this case, a large number of red blood cells are directed to the affected organ to improve its performance in the presence of oxygen. So, for example, the increase in the amount of hemoglobin occurs in the presence of severe burns in a child. Oxygen in this situation is directed to the regeneration of calcined tissues. Elevated hemoglobin in a child can be detected after serious sports loads, as well as if he lives in a mountainous area. In this case, this phenomenon is considered a variant of the norm.
Symptoms of increased hemoglobin
Symptoms of increased hemoglobin in a child are the presence of such signs as:
- drowsiness;
- fast fatiguability;
- pallor or redness of the skin.
If these symptoms are detected, the child should be immediately shown to the doctor and examined.
How to reduce hemoglobin in a child?
A high level of red blood cells can trigger an increase in blood viscosity, which is fraught with the formation of blood clots and clogging of blood vessels. This is a consequence of the lack of adequate treatment for elevated hemoglobin. To avoid this fate, it is necessary to organize proper nutrition for the child,
- drink water in large quantities to "dilute" the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood;
- stop eating foods that are rich in iron, and can increase the level of red bodies in the blood. Among them: buckwheat, liver, by-products, pomegranates, red berries and others;
- enrich the diet of the child with plant food and fish. These products lower hemoglobin. To replenish the protein deficit with this diet should be using chicken, soy and beans.