Has anyone had an anaemic baby? Wondering about ds (8 months)

[hazeyjane]

Ds is 8 months old and currently under investigation re gross motor delays.

Along with various other issues, the paeds and drs always comment on how pale he is. His skin is almost transluscent, his toenails have no colour at all, and his finger nails are very pale. Sometimes his feet and hands look almost grey.

No-one has suggested doing a blood test, and the colour does come and go. But he doesn't eat well, he is formula fed,and only started solids about a month ago, he can't eat much as pushes a lot of food out with his tongue. He has abidec drops on the advice of the HV. He sleeps 3 times a day and often seems to slump with tiredness, he often likes to just lie with his taggie next to me watching his sisters playing.

Does it sound like he could be anaemic? Is it a case of just doing a blood test to find out?

Thankyou

yes anaemia can be detected by a blood test but if he's on formula and adidec even if he doesn't eat very well i wouldn't have thought it likely to be a problem. Have you discussed it with the doctors?

How bad is the gross motor delay? What sort of things can he do? I know children with gross motor delay whose hands and feet in particular are always cold and a funny colour due to poor circulation which is thought to be part of their condition and made worse by them not moving.

Thankyou bumble, he doesn't sit or roll, and often just lies either propped on his side (he hs reflux so doesn't like being on back for a long time) or on his back. His hands and feet do feel very cold a lot of the time, so maybe it is a circulation thing.

I notice that abidec doesn't have iron, so I worried that the iron in the formula wasn't enough.

anyone else?

My DS has been diagnosed as anaemic through a blood test for something else. The GP said a lot of babies are a bit anaemic when moving onto solids but it's not usually detected as blood tests are not routine. We have been prescribed liquid iron for him.

i forgot abidec is vitamins isn't it If you are worried I'd speak to your gp about the possible anaemia but I wonder if all his symptoms are more due to the gross motor delay or the cause of it.

what sort of investigations is he having and do you know what for? There's loads of good advice on the special needs thread someone there may be able to give your more advice or compare experiences.

ds2 has suffered with anemia on & off all his life. He also has delays, all due to his very prem birth.

He has blood tests to confirm his anemia. FOr him its nothing to do with his diet but to do with the shape of his bllod cells & his body ability to absorb iron.
He has go better over the years but when he was a baby his ears would always go pale first, but also be the first to pink up once given blood or iron tablets.

He is 8 now & ahsn't had iron suppliments for over a yr now so fingers crossed it has sorted itself out.

Thankyou.

The HV called this morning to talk about ds's diet, and thought it would be a good idea to do a blood test, so we have arranged for one next week.

It feels like one appointment after another with ds at the moment, and I feel as though I am worrying about a different thing every five minutes.

Thank goodness for Mumsnet to talk these worries through.

Hello, I have a similar issue with my ds. Are you able to update with what happened and if your lo caught up with his gross motor skills.