Iron is an important mineral that helps produce red blood cells. You need iron for your body to make hemoglobin, a protein contained in those red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body.

If your child's iron levels are low, you may notice troubling symptoms. Because iron is so crucial for growth and development, it's important to detect and address deficiencies early. Fortunately, treatment may be as simple as adjusting your child's diet or adding iron supplements for kids to his or her daily routine.

Detecting an Iron Deficiency in Your Child

Several symptoms typically go along with iron deficiency in children and babies. These can include the following:

Tiredness or lethargy
Fatigue
Pale skin
Moodiness
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes)
Dark urine

Be on the lookout for these signs, especially with younger kids and babies who may not be able to communicate how they are feeling. If they have a serious deficiency, you may start to notice more severe symptoms like shortness of breath, swelling of the extremities, and a fast pulse.

Your child is at higher risk if he or she fulfills one or more of the following conditions:

Was born premature
Eats a vegetarian or vegan diet (or eats very little meat)
Drinks large amounts of cow's milk and is under the age of 2 years
Had a low birth weight
Is exclusively breastfeeding past 6 months
Has a serious health condition or genetic disease

Speak with your baby or child's doctor if you have concerns about any of these risk factors. There are tests the doctor can order to determine iron and hemoglobin levels.

How To Treat an Iron Deficiency

Most often, an iron deficiency in children is easy to treat. If your baby was born prematurely or is older than 6 months and exclusively breastfeeding, your pediatrician may recommend an iron supplement. (If your baby does not have low iron levels, baby multivitamin drops without iron are a better choice.)

A high quality iron drop product is carefully sourced, safe, and free of unnecessary dyes and preservatives. Follow package instructions closely and talk to your pediatrician if you have an infant younger than 4 months. You can find iron supplements online or at retailers that sell organic kids medicine.

For older babies and children who are eating solids, dietary changes can help raise iron levels into the normal range. Red meat and organ meats are especially rich in iron, but there are also plenty of vegetarian sources. Legumes — such as lentils and beans — are a good source that children often enjoy.

Other meatless options include spinach, pumpkin seeds, cashews, oats, and potatoes. Breakfast cereal is often fortified with iron, so check the label on this popular kid snack. Just keep in mind that vegetarians typically have more trouble absorbing the mineral and therefore require more of it.

Even with more iron-rich food consumption, your child may have trouble with low levels. Talk to your pediatrician or pharmacist about supplementing your child's diet with iron.