08/01/2025
When iron deficiency becomes extreme children can adopt a behavior called pica, where they will eat non-food objects habitually. Examples are cardboard or paper, soap, pulling bits off their diaper, crayons, dirt or rocks, ice. This may be an attempt to find the minerals they are lacking through their normal diet.
However, earlier on signs will be more subtle. More fussing, more crankiness, getting tired easily when playing, or not wanting to run & play - things not seeming quite right.
Children at higher risk for iron deficiency are those that eat a LOT of dairy (milk is a low iron food), and those that don’t digest meat well.
For a simple way to screen your children, consider making funny faces a regular part of play time, having the child pull down their eyelids so you can see if the conjunctiva (mucous membrane on the inside of the eye lid) is pale or robustly red. If it’s pale, take them to their healthcare provider and have them checked for anemia. (See my previous posts for an example of the conjunctiva check & the tests I recommend.)
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world! Let’s stay aware of it so we can keep our families healthy! 🥩🍳🥓🍖🥦🥬🥛
