Iron is necessary to make hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen through your blood to all the cells in your body. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red. With insufficient iron, and therefore not enough hemoglobin, red blood cells become small and pale and don’t carry enough oxygen. You may have heard the phrase […]
How Much Iron do You Need?
Children, 1-10 years 10 mg. Teen males 12 mg. Adults males 10 mg. Teen and adult females 18 mg. Pregnant women 30 mg. * Average RDA for iron Babies store iron from their mother’s blood while they are in the womb. Babies born prematurely need extra iron because they do not have enough time in […]
Why Do Babies Especially need More Iron?
It is very important for growing infants to get enough iron in their diet. Infants between one and two years of age who have iron deficiency anemia have been found to have lower scores on mental and motor functioning tests; their scores are also lower at five years of age. The late Frank Oski, who […]
Anemia
Should You Give Your Anemic Child Iron Vitamins? “At my nine-month-old’s check-up, the pediatrician said my son is anemic and needs to take iron vitamins. What is your opinion on using iron vitamins in infants?” What is Anemia? Some infants become anemic because developing fetuses build up a store of iron inside their body. This […]
3 Steps to Correct Your Child’s Anemia
“Borderline” anemia can usually be corrected just by increasing your dietary supply of iron, without taking iron supplements. If your child is anemic, here’s how to restock the iron deficient body stores and elevate the hemoglobin level to normal: Step 1: Using diet to correct anemia in infants requires about one milligram of dietary iron […]
8 Ways to Prevent Anemia
Iron deficiency can cause anemia, a shortage of hemoglobin in the blood. This can lead to weakness, fatigue, a pale face and earlobes, and brittle, spoon-shaped nails. There are other causes of anemia besides nutritional deficiencies, including massive or chronic blood loss. The best way to tell if you have enough iron in your body […]
My Doctor Measured my Hemoglobin and it’s Normal. Could I still be anemic?
My Doctor Measured my Hemoglobin and it’s Normal. Could I still be anemic? A normal hemoglobin level does not necessarily indicate that you are not anemic, meaning your blood is not low in iron. Yet, the hemoglobin level obtained in your doctor’s office does not reflect total body stores of iron. It’s possible to have […]
Omega-3 and DHA For Students
The Importance of Omega-3 and DHA For Students DHA is the primary structural component of brain tissue, so it stands to reason that a deficiency of DHA in the diet could translate into a deficiency in brain function. In fact, research is increasingly recognizing the possibility that DHA has a crucial influence on neurotransmitters in […]
Switching from Formula to Cow’s Milk
I’ve been feeding my baby iron-fortified formula. When is it okay to switch to whole cow’s milk? Research comparing cow’s milk and formula-fed infants during the first year of life has shown that cow’s milk is irritating to the intestines of a tiny infant, causing infants to lose a tiny bit of blood in their […]
Nutrition While Breastfeeding
Question: Do I need to be eating differently for better nutrition while breastfeeding? What do you recommend is best to eat? Answer: Since you are eating for two, you need to eat healthier for more nutrition while breastfeeding. Most mothers need to eat an extra 300-500 nutritious calories per day. The top nutritional deficiency in […]
How to Eat for a Healthy Pregnancy
Graze, Sip and Dip for a Healthy Pregnancy What’s going on in there? Every mother wonders how her habits affect how her baby is growing. Once upon a time it was thought that a baby in the womb grew according to a predetermined genetic blueprint, and as long as a mother took reasonably good care […]
Sleeping While Pregnant
The Challenge of Sleeping While Pregnant As your pregnancy progresses and your little passenger starts taking up a lot more room, sleeping while pregnant becomes more of a challenge. You get more tired and need more sleep, but the changes of pregnancy can keep this from happening. Here are some explanations as to why sleeping while […]