The norm of hemoglobin in a child at different ages

At any age, the child should take into account the calorie content and the number of trace elements in the products that he eats. One of the main and important elements in the body is iron, because a sufficient amount of it normalizes the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

A constantly growing baby from the first days of life requires an increasing amount of food, it follows from this that his need for iron intake also grows. The amount and lack of hemoglobin can be determined by passing a general blood test. In order to objectively evaluate laboratory data, you need to know what the rate of hemoglobin should be in children, depending on their age.

The Importance of Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a protein that is able to synthesize the body of every person. This substance is part of red blood cells. The main task of this chemical element is to transfer oxygen from the respiratory organs to all human tissues.

The structure of hemoglobin consists of an iron atom, due to which the blood is colored red.

The protein that contains iron in the body of a child comes in two forms:

• Reduced (freed from oxygen). It moves through the veins and is painted dark red.

• Oxyhemoglobin (enriched with oxygen). It is delivered to the tissue via arterial pathways and has a bright scarlet color.

In the lungs, iron atoms combine with oxygen, and then, together with blood, spread through the arteries, enriching the tissues with substances necessary for life.

In the body of a healthy person, hemoglobin produces bone marrow. If physical or nervous exhaustion has occurred, the spleen, liver and lymph nodes take on the function of producing this substance.

In babies up to a year, hemoglobin is called fetal. In the future, it will be replaced by glycosylated hemoglobin, which is characteristic of the adult population. When the iron in the child’s body is not enough, the hemoglobin level is significantly reduced, which leads to a disruption in the supply of tissues with nutrients and oxygen. As a result of such a crisis, the baby becomes drowsy, he loses his appetite, overwork occurs, he is not able to move and play a lot. A condition where hemoglobin in the body is reduced to a minimum amount is called iron deficiency anemia.

Hemoglobin

The rate of hemoglobin in the blood in children who are just born, as well as in peanuts, is completely different from year to year. It ranges from 90 to 230 g / l. During the first days of life in humans, 145-230 g / l is considered the norm. This indicator is considered the highest in children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years.

A decrease in hemoglobin in a month-old baby is normal. Its lowest value is formed by two months of a child’s life. This is due to the fact that the baby's iron reserves accumulated in the womb are almost completely exhausted. Now, the only source of useful trace elements is breast milk or infant formula. During active growth, the peanut requires the intake of many different substances into the body, which is why a young nursing mother needs to follow a strict diet. It is especially important to supplement it with meat and vegetable products in its diet, because they are saturated with iron.

When the time comes to feed the baby with products other than mother’s milk, the baby’s body slowly begins to replenish the reserves of iron and other chemical elements involved in blood coagulation. Such a process begins with about six months of life. By 1 year of age, biochemical processes are activated in the child's body, as a result of which hemoglobin is synthesized independently and in the right amount.

The risk of anemia in children

Iron deficiency anemia most often occurs in children who have not been breastfed with mother’s breast milk. However, it should be borne in mind that if, before the birth of the child, the mother was found to have a low level of hemoglobin, then the future crumb remains at risk of anemia, even if it is breastfed.

A sharp decrease in hemoglobin immediately after birth may be associated with a natural increase in pressure after childbirth. In this case, suppression of hemoglobin synthesis by bone marrow is characteristic.

A disease such as iron deficiency anemia is divided into physiological and iron deficiency. The first occurs as a result of a decrease in the body's ability to synthesize hemoglobin. The second is manifested in children older than four months. It can occur as a result of a small amount of iron entering the body of the child, or poor absorption of trace elements. That is why it is important to know which hemoglobin in children at 4 months is the norm.

The rate of hemoglobin

In order to properly understand the indications of laboratory tests, you need to compare them with the readings of the tables:

Hemoglobin problems in early birth

During preterm birth, the baby experiences extreme stress, since the sharp untimely process of transition from fetal hemoglobin to normal has not yet begun. As a result, oxygen starvation begins. Based on this, the protein level in the blood of a premature baby will be significantly different from children born at the planned time. This can be seen in the following table:

This table shows data for premature babies up to two months of life. This period is the most vulnerable for them. At 3 months, the hemoglobin rate in a child born earlier than the prescribed time remains at about the same level.

Conclusions from the indicators of the tables

A few months after the birth, the premature baby gets used to his new environment, gaining strength. Eating mother’s milk or milk mixture, he receives a sufficient amount of trace elements, so important for his health and existence. Based on the indicators of the two tables, we can draw several conclusions that relate to the hemoglobin norms in a child at different stages of development:

• In the first two months of life in infants, the level of iron decreases due to the presence of a fetal type of hemoglobin, which tends to be poorly separated from oxygen molecules.

• The child leaves the womb with an increased level of hemoglobin in comparison with the average statistics. This factor does not depend on the time when the birth took place.

• In premature babies, the hemoglobin index drops much faster than in healthy babies. That is why such babies should always be under special control by a pediatrician to receive timely and high-quality treatment.

• After two months of life in infants, glycosylated blood counts should increase significantly. As a result, the indicators reach the average values ​​(about 125 g / l) by the year.

The rate of hemoglobin at different ages

To find out what the average norm of hemoglobin in a child is 2 years old and older, you should carefully study the next table:

From this table it follows that the level of hemoglobin practically does not change in children after a year of life. It remains the same until adulthood. The amount of iron in the human body from one year to 18 years may vary, it all depends on individual characteristics. The main thing is that the indicator fit into the established framework.

During the onset of puberty (12 years), the hemoglobin rate in a child, depending on gender, may differ, but by no more than 10 units.

Symptoms of hemoglobin deficiency

Parents can understand that their child is not enough iron in the body, according to the following signs:

1. Dyspnea.
2. Heart palpitations.
3. Lack of appetite.
4. Increased nervousness.
5. Drowsiness.
6. Pallor of the skin.
7. The appearance of strange preferences for food, namely: a child can eat lime chalk, coal. He may also want to eat fried foods in large quantities.

Such symptoms should alert adults. It is best not to self-medicate, giving the child preparations containing a high rate of iron, and immediately consult a pediatrician for professional advice.

After collecting a general blood test, appropriate measures should be taken to identify abnormal hemoglobin in the child. The sooner the fight against ailments is started, the more chances there will be to rule out anemia resulting from iron deficiency.