Choose a dietary practice that will
reduce the likelihood of anemia
First name
Last name
Birthday of name entered above
Activity 1:
Why do
you think iron is important in your diet? List one reason:
Have you or your child ever felt tired or weak?
Have you lost your appetite or feeling short of breath? Does your skin
look pale or dry? If you have these symptoms it may be time to consider iron
deficiency anemia. This is only one of several types of
anemia. The red blood cells contain less hemoglobin and lose their
ability to carry oxygen. With anemia, the blood is unable to supply the
full oxygen needs of the tissues. Therefore, less oxygen is carried when
it is needed. The cells then operate with a lowered energy level.
Iron deficiency anemia is usually diagnosed by measuring the
blood hemoglobin level. This is why WIC
performs a blood test when you are being certified. This test
indicates the degree of iron deficiency.
See Below to determine your
Hemoglobin value. You can ask the WIC staff what your hemoglobin value
was on your last certification.
Maximum Hemoglobin Concentration for Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Sex/Age,
Years
Hemoglobin,
< g/dL
Males and Females
1 to less than 2
11.0
2 to < 5
11.1
5 to < 8
11.5
8 to < 12
11.9
Males
12 to <15
12.5
15 to < 18
13.3
≥ 18
13.5
Females
12 to < 15
11.8
15 to < 18
12.0
≥ 18
12.0
Source: Adapted From Table 6, Center for
Disease Control and Prevention
Hemoglobin
Concentration, <g/dl
Altitude, feet
3,000-3,999
+0.2
4,000-4,999
+0.3
5,000-5,999
+0.5
6,000-6,999
+0.7
7,000-7,999
+1.0
8,000-8,999
+1.3
9,000-9,999
+1.6
10,000-11,000
+2.0
Cigarette smoking
0.5 to <1.0 pack per day
+0.3
1.0 to <2.0 packs per day
+0.5
≥2.0 packs per day
+0.7
All smokers
+0.3
Source: Reproduced from Table 7, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Iron deficiency is the most prevalent
form of nutrition deficiency anemia in this country. Iron-deficiency
anemia has been associated with:
-delayed
psychomotor development
-cognitive
deficits
-behavioral disturbances in
young children
Iron-deficiency anemia has also been associated with:
-impaired
growth and development
-depression of the immune
system
-fatigue
-decreased resistance to
infection
-decreased physical
performance
-decreased levels of endurance
-reduced attention span
-deceased school performance
-increased susceptibility to
lead poisoning
IRON FACTS
You need
IRON in your diet to help build healthy
red blood cells.
If you don't have enough iron in your blood, you may
-have pale or dry skin
-feel weak or tired
-have shortness of breath
-feel loss of appetite
Infants, preschoolers, teenagers, pregnant women need
more iron than
others due to their increased growth or blood loss.
Iron is found in many foods, but in small amounts. Therefore, it is hard
for some people to get enough iron from foods to prevent iron deficiency
anemia or "tired blood".
Iron is needed during infancy for brain growth and development.
Scientific studies have shown that iron-fortified infant formula does
not cause babies to have constipation or upset stomachs.
Activity 2:
List 2 symptoms of iron deficiency:
1.
2.
How are you currently preventing iron
deficiency anemia?
Why do I need
iron?
You need iron to keep your
blood strong. If your blood is low in iron, you have anemia.
Anemia can make you or your child:
look pale, feel tired and weak, act cranky
eat poorly
not grow well
get sick more easily, get infections and
headaches
have trouble learning, and do poorly in school or work
If you are pregnant, your baby could be born too early or
too small
How to prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia:
Y Eat a wide variety of foods everyday, including milk
products, meat, and alternates, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Y
Include iron rich foods in your diet everyday.
Y
Try meat, fish, or poultry to get more iron from
other from other foods eaten in the same meal.
Y
Eat vitamin C-rich foods with meals. This will
improve your body's uptake of iron.
Y
Cook foods in cast iron cookware.
Y
Reduce the amount
of soda, coffee, and tea you drink. These caffeinated beverages can make
you take in less iron from the food you eat. If you drink coffee or tea,
drink them between meals.
Activity 3:
1. Which blood cells need iron?
White
Red
If you chose red blood cells,
you're correct. You need iron in your diet to help build red blood
cells.
2. Which vitamin helps the absorption of iron?
Vitamin D
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been shown to help increase
the amount of iron absorbed in your blood.
Remember: Your body's uptake of iron from food is improved when you
also eat foods containing vitamin C or animal products. Also, using
cast iron cookware will increase the amount of iron in your food.
Food Sources of Vitamin C ______________________________________________
Good
Sources:
asparagus
bell pepper
broccoli
brussell sprouts
cabbage
cantaloupe
salsa
cauliflower
grapefruits
grapefruit juice
green chili (sauce)
orange
orange juice
potato
strawberries
spinach
tomato
tomato juice
turnip
So…choose combinations of foods with the most useable iron, like:
Iron fortified (WIC) cereal and orange
juice
Bean and beef taco, topped with tomato and
salsa
Chicken enchilada with green chile, steamed
broccoli, whole-wheat tortilla, and watermelon for dessert.
You may print this important information by clicking here.
Milk products
are low in iron:
All dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream are very
low in iron. They are good foods because they have a lot of calcium for
bones and teeth. But drinking too much milk could make your child
anemic. The milk fills them up and keeps them from getting enough high
iron foods. So, what to do:
Start teaching your baby to use
a cup at around 6 months. Then avoid giving your
baby a bottle at around one year. Many children who keep
using a bottle after one year drink too much milk, then they are not
hungry at mealtime.
After their first birthday
children should drink only 2 to 3 cups of milk per
day (16 to 24 ounces)
Dietary
Strategies:
Increase
consumption of lean meat, fish, and poultry, which contain heme, an
effectively absorbed form of iron from hemoglobin and myogloblin.
Meat, fish, and poultry also enhance absorption of the less-bioavailable plant
sources of iron (e.g., grains, dried peas and beans, spinach)
Increase
consumption of vitamin C (e.g., citrus and fortified fruit juices, citrus
fruit, strawberries, cantaloupe, green peppers, broccoli, cabbage) taken with
meals. This increases the absorption of non-meat sources of iron.
Use highly fortified breakfast
cereals.
Activity 4:
1. Which food would help your body absorb the iron in beef?
Milk
Tea
Orange
2. What could happen if your child doesn't have
enough iron in their blood?
He could get sick with more colds and
infections
He will turn colors.
He will eat more.
3. Which food has the most iron?
Potatoes
Beans
Pickles
4. Which of the following is not associated with
iron-deficiency anemia?
Decreased school performance
Impaired growth and development
Impaired vision and eye coordination
5. List 2 changes you will make in your child's
diet to prevent iron-deficiency anemia.
1.
2.
Answers: 1. Orange 2.
He could get sick with more colds and infections 3. Beans 4. Impaired vision
and eye coordination
Which
WIC Office do you go to?
Bullhead City
Kingman
Lake Havasu City
Where
are you taking today's lesson?
You
have completed the Child Class on “Anemia”.If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail one of our
nutritionists.We’ll be glad to
answer any of your questions.
on, you have anemia.
Anemia can make you or your child:
