Question
At five months old, a routine blood test revealed anemia. The blood test results were as follows: White blood cell count (WBC) 8.4, Red blood cell count (RBC) 4.09, Hemoglobin (HGB) -106, Hematocrit (HCT) 0.310, Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) -75.8, Mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCH) -25.9, Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 342, Platelets (PLT)…
Answer
Infant anemia is a common condition that not only disrupts the growth and development of infants but also serves as a trigger for many infectious diseases. Anemia is defined as having a low hemoglobin concentration in peripheral blood that is below the normal standard for the age, gender, and region of the patient. In infant health checks, nutritional anemia is most common. Infants with nutritional anemia usually suffer from it due to selective eating habits, particularly a dislike for vegetables, as well as a single and unbalanced diet at home and in kindergarten canteens, often consuming only meat and eggs while having little opportunity to eat liver and animal blood. This is also one of the causes of anemia. Therefore, mild anemia (hemoglobin level of 9 to 12 grams) can be treated without medication, instead correcting it through improved dietary nutrition. Meal planning should be based on the infant’s nutritional needs and the availability of seasonal vegetables, appropriately pairing various fresh green vegetables, fruits, liver, eggs, fish and shrimp, chicken, pork, beef and mutton, and blood, as well as legumes.