How to fight anaemia

By Grace Canada DO you know that your child could be having weak blood anaemia and you do not know it? Anaemia is a common problem in school children, and it can affect your child's learning and academic progress. Often anaemia goes undetected until it becomes severe, or another disease such as malaria sets in, making a bad situation worse. Anaemia is caused by several problems: A child not getting enough food that contains iron or the B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid, protein, and other nutrients. It can also be caused by parasitic infections: intestinal worms, or malaria parasites. Intestinal worms can compete with your child for nutrients. Malaria parasites destroy the red blood cells. Iron, B vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and protein are necessary for formation of healthy red blood cells and haemoglobin (a component of the red blood cell which carries oxygen to cells in the body including the brain). Anaemia is a symptom of advanced iron and other nutritional deficiencies. Other symptoms include: * Poor school performance in children, poor attention span, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, seeming lack of interest in school lessons and other activities. * Irritability, headaches, lack of appetite, mild depression (sad moods). * Tiredness, being out of breath after minor physical effort. * Increase susceptibility to colds and infection. * Impaired growth due to chronic low grade anaemia. Recommendations * Children tend to suffer in silence. Spare 20-30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week with your child (make it one child at a time). Listen to the child's concerns and take them seriously. This will foster trust and good relations with your child. It also gives you a chance to know what is going on in your child's life and how you can be of help. * Include in your child's diet iron rich foods like liver, kidney, fish, lean meat, eggs, dried cooked beans or peas. * Include foods that increase iron absorption such as cabbage, green pepper, fresh tomatoes, fresh lime or lemon juice, mangada, leafy green vegetables. * Avoid foods that may decrease iron absorption. Coffee or tea taken within three hours of a meal, can decrease iron absorption by as much as 85%. Symptoms of malaria are similar to those of other diseases such as mental illness, heart disease, or even overwork. If your child has any of the mentioned symptoms, before you give them iron supplements, consult a doctor. The doctor will order a blood test to determine whether your child is anaemic, and the level of anaemia. Also have the child's stool checked for intestinal parasites. Note: Excessive iron can become toxic to your child.