About 2 weeks ago my 6 year old daughter was sick with a virus which I wrote about in a previous post. The doctor took blood and the bloodwork showed slightly low hemoglobin. The doctor said to come back 2 weeks later for a retest. I went back with my daughter on Monday morning for a retest. I got a call from one of the nurses at the doctor's office saying that there was not enough blood in the vile for the lab to get any results and I would need to bring her back for another blood AGAIN. I went back with my daughter yesterday for the third blood test in 2 weeks (poor baby). I got a call earlierb from the doctor saying that her hemoglobin was slightly higher than last time, bt still considered slightly low. I need to bring her in for yet another blood test in a month. The doctor didnt seem so concerned, though. I actually read that some people just have slightly low hemoglobin levels and thats normal. My daughter's hemoglobin level when she was sick was a 10.6. It went up to a 10.8. The norm is 11.5. The doctor thinks in about a month it should be normal and said it was a good sign that it went up, even slightly. Has anyone ever experienced this with their kids? The doctor didnt seem too worried but I am a little concerned.
It's slowly rising and heading in the right direction.
I wouldn't worry about it.
If it went up in 2 weeks - on it's own - then that's a good sign. And it's totally normal course of action to order another test in a month.
I haven't experienced this with my kids - but have myself. So this all sounds pretty typical to me.
This is normal. He's checking to make sure her body is making what it needs on it's own. You don't want a doctor that will just throw a bunch of meds at you. It's increasing on it's own so he's giving it a month to see if it will generate back to it's normal levels. No big deal so if he's not worried, you shouldn't be either. I have gone through this myself so it's the normal practice. Good luck.
What is her diet like? Does she eat red meat? Red meat (beef) offers more iron than other meats. Oranges have folic acid with helps the body process iron.
Talk to a nutritionist and see what you can do to tweak her diet.
If you don't trust your Dr, find a new Dr you do trust.
The levels went up. That's a good sign and I see nothing abnormal with testing again to evaluate the levels. I routinely have bloodwork done and its not that big of a deal. IF something concerns the Dr, they let you know asap.
Bottom line is if your Dr (the professional) is not concerned, then maybe you shouldn't be as concerned and assume something is wrong.
Be careful not to project these fears to your child. Children pick up on your behavior and act accordingly.
As long as my kids' doctors weren't worried then I didn't worry, after all they hold Master medical/science degrees and I hold a BA in English Literature/Liberal Studies.
I'm no expert on blood or hemoglobin levels, but I can discuss many genres of literature with you if you're interested ;-)
My daughter's doctors have told us that many blood levels (and other test numbers such as blood pressure) can vary from person to person. And the determining factor about whether it's a problem can often be: symptoms. For example, one person can have blood pressure that's on the lower side of normal, but be healthy and active, and they feel good. Another person can have the same blood pressure numbers but feel weak, dizzy, and just overall not well.
Hemoglobin is another one of those numbers, her hematologist explained. Those norms are the average of a huge amount of people. So if your daughter is on the lower side of the norm, but she's her bouncy self, doesn't seem exhausted, looks good, acts fine, then it's probably not anything to worry about. If however, she seems lethargic, is pale, tired all the time, shows a disinterest in regular activities, then you might mention it again to the doctor in a couple of weeks and request that she be re-tested.
My daughter has had innumerable blood tests. Some numbers are slightly lower, but the doctor doesn't worry unless the numbers keep going down. Others are way up or way down, and significantly out of the ranges, and have to be dealt with.
Another thing to consider: different labs, different hospitals, different doctors often have slightly varying numbers in their "normal" ranges. The 11.5 isn't a firm, fixed number. It's that lab's protocol, and that's why 10.8 is not a huge red flag to your doctor. It's not far from the norm, and it sounds like your daughter is recovering from her virus, not still sick.
In the meantime, a healthy eating plan of some spinach salads, good proteins (lean meat, eggs, etc), fruits and vegetables, lots of water, no sugary drinks, and no junk food/fast food/processed foods will do her good.
