Parents should know what the norm of hemoglobin in children. This is a very important indicator, allowing to assess the state of health of the baby. It is necessary to understand in advance what deviations from the norm may be and what provokes them. This will allow timely detection of the pathological process and start acting in time.
Analysis for hemoglobin
To determine this indicator, a clinical blood test is performed. Hemoglobin is a complex protein associated with heme. Its main task is to transport oxygen to all tissues and transfer carbon dioxide to the lungs. The type of hemoglobin a child should have depends on the age of the baby. The maximum is observed in newborns. However, after a couple of weeks the norm of hemoglobin in children decreases. The value of the indicator, which is ideal for a 2-year-old baby, is considered an anemia in a 3-month-old age.
The value of this indicator is influenced by the following factors:
- Feeding the baby - babies on breastfeeding are less likely to suffer from anemia than children who feed on artificial mixtures.
- Genetic predisposition - if the mother does not have any special health problems and the hemoglobin is below the norm, most likely the same situation will be observed in crumbs.
- Health status - there are a number of pathologies in which the concentration of iron-containing protein in the blood is higher or lower than normal.
- Seasonality - more often in the autumn-winter period the hemoglobin index decreases.
- The condition of a woman in the period of bearing a baby .
Analysis for hemoglobin - preparation
To ensure that the results of the study are as objective as possible, it must be taken responsibly. Some parents are interested in the blood test for hemoglobin on an empty stomach or not do. Experts recommend this study to be carried out on an empty stomach. Most often the blood is given in the morning: before such a study, unless you can drink pure drinking water. There are other things that need to be considered before donating blood:
- The day before the study, it is important that the child is not very frolicking (older children should be protected from intensive sports activities).
- 3-4 days before taking the test, it is recommended to refrain from taking medications (except for vital drugs, which the doctor should know about taking).
- 12 hours before the test, sweets should be excluded from the baby's diet.
How to take the test for hemoglobin?
The procedure itself involves a finger puncture and a small amount of blood sampling. After the material is transferred to the laboratory for further careful examination by specialists. The results will be ready in 1-2 days. Before giving blood to hemoglobin to a child, parents are warned about this. In some cases, an additional examination is required. For example, an analysis of glycated hemoglobin can be prescribed. This indicator allows you to timely identify diabetes and timely start treatment.
The norm of hemoglobin in the blood in children
WHO has developed criteria for assessing this indicator. The hemoglobin norm in children is analyzed by age - the table with generalized data contains all the necessary information. The values obtained as a result of the study are compared with the calculated values. In premature babies, the hemoglobin content in the blood is below normal. Such children are at high risk of developing anemia.
The norm of hemoglobin in children under one year
A high rate in a newborn is due to the fact that the baby has accumulated a stock of iron during his stay in the womb. However, a couple of weeks after birth, the value of this indicator gradually decreases. For this reason, hemoglobin in a newborn baby and a baby older is different in quantitative terms. In the future, the indicator largely depends on the nutrition of the baby.
Hemoglobin - a norm in children after a year
To monitor the level of this protein, the pediatrician assigns a hematological examination twice a year to the baby. Children with chronic pathologies such a survey are held every quarter.
In the norm these indicators:
- hemoglobin in a one-year-old child - 140 g / l;
- to 2 years the index of the baby is almost the same as in 1 year;
- at 5 years the norm of hemoglobin in children slightly increases;
- during puberty, the value reaches "adult" indicators.
Low hemoglobin in a child
A decrease in the level of protein in the blood occurs more often than its elevated concentration. This condition in medicine is known as anemia. It is noted in 47% of cases in preschool children and 25% in schoolchildren. Reduced hemoglobin in a child is accompanied by such symptoms:
- muscle weakness;
- poor appetite ;
- pallor of the skin;
- sleep disturbance (insomnia or, on the contrary, increased drowsiness);
- frequent syncope;
- skin peeling;
- dizziness.
Anemia is a very dangerous condition that can lead to such consequences:
- decreased immunity ;
- violation of the lungs and heart;
- suffer from cognitive functions (concentration of attention, memory, ability to learn);
- delay in physical development.
Lowered hemoglobin - causes in the child
A small concentration of iron-containing protein can be provoked by various factors. The causes of low hemoglobin in children are as follows:
- blood loss - acute (they are observed after a recent surgery or trauma) or chronic (caused by frequent nasal bleeding);
- pathology of the digestive system;
- infectious diseases;
- malignant neoplasms;
- parasitic lesion;
- pathology, in which the body does not metabolize iron;
- scanty and monotonous diet;
- the kid seldom is in the open air.
How to increase hemoglobin in a child?
To increase the value of iron-containing protein in the blood, an integrated approach should be used. It includes such directions:
- drug therapy;
- folk remedies;
- therapeutic diet.
Drug therapy is aimed at increasing the amount of iron in the blood and restoring the stocks of this microelement in the liver. Most appointments are made for 3 months. This duration is considered optimal: the body is stored with the right amount of iron-containing protein. This minimizes the likelihood of anemia. Before lifting hemoglobin to a child, the doctor prescribes a checkup. To combat anemia, more often such drugs are prescribed:
- Ferrum Lek;
- Ferrous sulphate;
- Ferrograd;
- Fefol;
- Gluconate iron;
- Heferol.
As an auxiliary therapy, folk medicine can be used. They must be administered under the supervision of the attending physician. Especially effective is a remedy made from dried apricots, kernels of walnuts and prunes (each component of 200 g). Also take 1 lemon. Dried fruits, nuts and citrus fruit are ground with a blender. Then enrich the composition with a glass of honey and mix everything thoroughly. This drug should be given to the baby 1 teaspoon twice a day. "The drug" is kept in a tightly closed glass container in the refrigerator.
If the low hemoglobin in a child - what to do, the pediatrician knows. He will recommend that parents enrich the baby's diet with such products:
- turkey;
- beef;
- liver;
- beans (peas, beans, lentils);
- sea cabbage;
- fresh fruits and berries;
- carrots, tomatoes, beets, cauliflower and other vegetables.
Elevated hemoglobin in a child
The value of the index of iron-containing protein is above the norm, too, is considered a deviation. The fact that the hemoglobin in the blood of a child is elevated can be judged by such signs:
- drowsiness;
- numbness of individual parts of the body;
- loss of vision;
- arrhythmia;
- severe fatigue;
- decreased body weight;
- loss of appetite;
- presence of blood in stool;
- itching.
Parents are important to realize that high hemoglobin in a child can provoke serious consequences:
- impairment of brain activity;
- thrombosis;
- kidney and pancreas dysfunction;
- heart attack or stroke.
Increased hemoglobin in the child - the reasons
An increase in the index of iron-containing protein in the blood is more often caused by a lack of plasma or by an excessively high concentration of red blood cells. If the hemoglobin in children is high, this is often provoked by such causes:
- high temperature;
- strong stress;
- kidney diseases;
- dehydration ;
- heart failure;
- blood diseases;
- long-term intake of diuretics;
- a violation of blood composition;
- oncological diseases.
How to lower hemoglobin in the blood of a child?
A high index of such protein is not a disease: it is just a symptom that indicates the pathological process taking place in the body. The main task of the doctor is to identify the cause of increased hemoglobin and normalize its significance as soon as possible. If as a result of the examination the doctor finds out that the index of iron-containing protein has grown after a recent illness, he can prescribe medication. The purpose of such treatment is the dilution of blood. One of the prescribed drugs is Heparin. The dosage and duration of treatment is prescribed by the doctor.
When the level of hemoglobin in children is high, parents should pay attention to ration crumbs. Products with high iron content should be excluded:
- buckwheat porridge;
- grenades;
- apples;
- liver.
In the diet of the baby must be present such products:
- fish (low-fat varieties);
- seafood;
- white chicken meat;
- cottage cheese;
- dairy products;
- cheese.
If the norm of hemoglobin in young children is exceeded, parents are recommended such additional measures:
- Provide the baby with an abundant drink.
- Make sure that the crumb does not play too much (intense physical activity increases the production of hemoglobin).
- Take care that in the room where the baby is, there was a normal humidity.