Children Anemia Due to Iron Deficiency in Afghanistan

 

Written by: Muhammad Arif Rahimi

Anemia caused by a low iron level is the most common form of anemia in children and it might cause some problems to the children.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some parents and a physician about this illness.

A woman in Herat hospital, Herat province says: “my baby is one and a half years old and he is suffering from anemia. He doesn’t have apatite to eat, and he becomes more weak day by day.”

Mr. Noor Muhammad, a resident of Farah province says: “my niece suffers from anemia. She always has a fever; her stomach has edema and she has a pale skin.

Doctor Nasir Ahmad Himat, a pediatrician in Indira Gandhi Child Care Hospital, Kabul city says: “tiredness and weakness,

pale skin, especially around the hands, nails, and eyelids,

rapid heartbeat, murmur, irritability, low appetite, dizziness or feeling lightheaded are the common symptoms of the Anemia caused by a low iron level.”

Causes:

A mother from Badghis province says that as they do not take good and healthy foods, therefore their children face with anemia.

Another woman says: “my son’s wife delivered a daughter after 18 months of her first delivery, the newborn baby could not feed on her mother breasts and she (the baby) faced anemia.”

Doctor Aqa Muhammad Shirzad, a pediatrician in the mentioned hospital says: “most mothers do not breastfeed their babies, therefore some babies face anemia. the mothers should breastfeed their babies and after 6 months they should add some iron rich foods to their babies’ daily foods menu.

Daily feeding of babies with the same foods also could cause anemia. The mothers should add fresh fruits and vegetables to their foods too. diarrhea and some infectious diseases also cause the deficiency of folic acid and iron in the blood of children.”

Treatment:

Mr. Azimuddin, a resident of Kapisa province says: “I have three kids and they have not faced anemia yet because we have plenty of fruits in our area and give them to our children and we also give them fresh milk, meat, beans and other foods after 6 months.”

Doctor Shirzad says: “We have two types treatments: in minor anemia, we treat the kid with injection, tablets, and syrups and advise parents to add some important foods.

If the child has vomiting, diarrhea or some other illness, we treat them first and then advise the parents to add vegetables, eggs, fresh milk, apples, liver and the water of red resin in their kid’s foods.”