9 Month Old with Low Iron..... Not Sure About Fer-In-Sol????

If she drinks milk you could add some baby formula to the milk. All baby formula is fortified with iron. Good luck

J. - I will try to help...does she have teeth? Can she chew a gummy bear or a chewable tablet? For what I would share with you requires this. Let me know - W.

Spinach is a natural source of iron, so is apricots. Liver is too but don't give it to her as it kind of holds all the poisons that go through the body.

I was chronically low in iron as a child and teen. Those are the foods plus iron that I ate.

Go to a Super supplement store and ask for help.

We were instructed to give it to our daughter for about 3 months (from 12 months old to 15 months or so). She didn't like taking it straight so we mixed it into her jarred/pureed baby food and she pretty much got the recommended dose.

It did not stain her teeth, however as another responder indicated, it WILL stain clothes etc so be very careful not to get the drops or the iron-laced baby food on your clothes. Also, iron can cause constipation so you want to make sure she's getting enough liquids.

Also, do a little research on the internet: I forget the specifics, but as I recall, there's some sort of counterindication with milk, like that calcium hinders iron absorption or something like that. Also, my Dr. said to give it 2x/day but I found research that said that you don't have to spread out the doses. Don't go by what I am saying -- this was a year ago -- but there are tips on the internet on how to maximize the iron absorption so that the anemia goes away more quickly, and also think about adding iron-rich foods (such as pureed spinach and lentils)to her diet.

We had the same problem with our daughter. She is taking Fer-in-Sol. We mix it with her food and she doesn't even know she is taking it. It only causes tooth discoloration if mixed with milk/formula or given straight into the mouth and not in food. We have never had a problem mixing it into her food.

I gave Fer-in-Sol to my son for a month. He was found to be anemic at his 12 month check up. He was fine at a follow up a month later. Fer-In-Sol tasted better to him than poly vi sol with iron. I think any kind of iron can cause teeth issues.

Hi, someone below mentioned a liquid. I think she is refereing to Floridex, made by Florvital. I think that is how it is spelled. I took it while I was pregnant and all but the last month I have been nursing. It is a food based iron supplement. But i don't know if it can be used on babies. To help boost her iron, why not try giving her chicken, turkey or beef (they have tones of iron) and something with vitamin c. Vit c helps the body absorb iron. But not orange juice because the acidity blocks it somehow, I don't remember how. Anyway, she may be old enough for meat if you put it through a food mill (we used a garlic press). I am not simply suggesting you don't use the supplement your doctor suggested (I don't know anything about it). Maybe using a variety of methods will increase her iron quickly.
Good luck

Hi J., I would recommend checking into the Reliv products. They are in a food balance and are near pharmaceutical grade. They have been used in feeding tubes and premature baby bottles and have given remarkable results. We have helped others who have had low iron and I used to deal with that myself. I don't go to the doctor often so I haven't had it tested but by my high energy I am sure it is no longer an issue! You can learn more here: http://www.reliv.com/US/EN/Products.html and email if you want to check more into Reliv. ____@____.com

We had to give this to my daughter for a few months, as she was also low in Iron. However we gave her Poly-Vi-Sol, which is a multi-vitamin with iron, per Dr.'s recommendation. I am sure they are similar. It did not stain her teeth and she toook it well. I was warned that baby may spit it out because the taste can be bad. My husband also got smart and gave it to her in the bathtub each night. It's true that it will stain things horribly, so get a bib or trying giving it in the bath.

We only had to give it for 3 months and then tapered off. She has her 15 month appt next week, so we'll see if they check her iron again in that appt.

Good Luck!

We had the same issue with our daughter when she was that age. We tend toward the more natural and organic things, and so I was glad to hear there is a more natural supplement we used called Floradix. We got it at Marlene's Market in Tacoma, but I'm sure you may be able to find it other place. We noted no tooth discoloration, but DID notice that it discolored her bibs when she dripped it. However, she loved the stuff and drips were few once we got the hang of it. I can't remember what other notes about the Ferinsol made me want to choose the Floradix, but it worked wonders for us. By her 1 year appointment, her iron levels were fine and we were off the supplement. Just another option.

Shaklee Nutritional supplements has 2 products for children. Vita-Lea Infant Mix for children from infant to 3 years and Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders for 3 and up. (Both are Kosher)

Vita-Lea Infant mix has 23 essential vitamins and minerals including Iron (as ferrous lactate).

Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders is for older children, has 23 essential nutrients and is tooth-friendly with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives added.

If you are interested in more information, I can send you the "Supplement Facts Sheets" that you can take to your doctor and see if you can give your baby Vita-Lea Infant Mix instead of the Fer-In-Sol.

You can email me direct at ____@____.com and I will forward you the Facts sheets so you can print it out and take it to your doctor.

Hope this helps,
I. Lockhart

I gave it to my son too. He didn't have any teeth yet because he was so small. So I'm not sure about the teeth staining, but it stained the heck out of his clothes and he hated the taste. But... iron deficiency can be miserable, so I would say give it a go for awhile. After about 3 months or so they should be able to check her iron again and see if she is improving.

How much more iron does she need a day? If it is lower like 10 mg ( I believe fer-in-sol gives dosages from 7.5 to 15 mg) then there are other options like children's vitamins. I would look into it further.

Hi J.,
My daughter had this at about the same age---the nurse who helped me advised that peanut butter, tuna and red meat are all good sources of iron, and to give these things w/ foods high in Vit. C (oranges, pretty much any fresh fruits, applesauce, etc.). Vit. C increases the absorption of iron. Also important is to feed dairy APART from the iron, so one meal have dairy, the next meal have iron, bc iron and calcium absorb through the same pathways and so if eaten at the same time, neither will absorb very well.
Bran, some leafy greens (like spinach) contain oxalic acid, which also interferes w/ iron absorption.
Also, liver is an excellent source of iron and other nutrients that tend to be lacking in our diets, and it's more than ok if it's organic. It's actually really easy to grind it up after it's been cooked and "hide" it in a jar of baby food, some ground beef or something else she likes to eat.
If the deficiency is severe and it's emergency, go ahead and supplement, but focus on diet too. It's almost always better to get nutrients from diet rather than supplements, and it's surprisingly effective. We turned around my daughter's deficiency quite quickly.
Hope this helps! Check the following website for more complete info: www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml

There is a liquid form {can't remember the name} that can be found in health food stores. It is not very good tasting, so it has to go with juice. And I am not sure if it is for young ones... I would assume it is safe because that is what my midwife told me to take after I delivered my first son, and I was anemic. I would call the health food store and ask what it is called {because I can't for the life of me remember!}, and maybe do a little research on it. Also ask your Dr. for any alternatives.

Instead you can give homeopathic Ferrum Phosphoricum 6X (Tissue remedy). They are small easy-dissolve pellets, take 2 daily. This balances the iron without side-effects, and also helps you absorb more iron out of your foods. In about 2 months it can usually be discontinued, but check again with the doctor/testing if you like.
Be well,
Liz

I'm *pretty sure* that it is Fer-in-sol that i'm using with my daughter. She has shown no issues with this medication (no constipation, no discoloration, no notable tummy problems), and even seems to like taking her daily dose.

My doc. suggested that once my daughter was eating more high-iron foods we could discontinue the supplement, so i look specifically for foods that are high in iron to feed her. Then i give her half dose if she has eaten a full serving of a high iron food that day.

At any rate, the side effects of baby-tooth coloration is minimal compared to the anemia side effect of permanent mental and physical retardation. YOu might consider trying your doctor's suggestion for just a month or so, and then have your daughter retested to see how her iron is - as soon as it comes up you can discontinue the supplement.

i would suggest that you and she both consume lots of dark green leafy vegetables, which are good sources of iron, as well as other whole fruits and vegetables. there should be no reason for supplemental iron unless she has some physiological problem. i would also find out exactly how low her iron level was, whether it is just borderline low or whether it is seriously low, and even in that case i would use whole food rather than synthetic vitamins.

I would not give my baby this or any iron supplement. Iron is a heavy mineral and in the form of supplements all it does is clog up her little liver. Most kinds of beans especially chick peas, are high in iron, as are peaches, apricots, kale, Romaine lettuce, broccoli, brown rice. If you could find some healthy soups or make some yourself that have lentils, brown rice, beans, veggies, etc.in them - that would be great. All of these foods not only contain a form of iron that the body easily recognizes and readily absorbs - they also contain vitamin C which aids in the absorption of iron. Whole grain breads and cereals - regular oat meal, breads with nuts and seeds in them, are also good. Red meat and liver are not good forms of iron for your baby. The liver does filter all of the poisons from the body - would you want to eat it?
You do need to feed her these foods a couple of times a day for a while to build her iron back up. Hope this helps.