Our blood is a liquid tissue that transports different elements such as nutrients, oxygen, different types of cells, hormones and other waste materials to all our organs in order to nourish, oxygenate, repair and clean our body. body.
Among the wonderful functions of our blood, one of the main ones is to carry vital oxygen from our lungs to every corner of the body through cells called red blood cells (or red blood cells) that they contain inside. hemoglobin.
Anemia is the decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin. This can occur due to various factors, among which we can highlight:
Nutritional deficiencies: Diet poor in vitamins and iron.
Nutrient absorption deficiencies: Problems in our intestine to assimilate nutrients.
Blood loss: Due to some type of external or internal injury.
Blood diseases that cause alterations in red blood cells.
Certain medications: Some antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and others.
What causes anemia in children?
Neurodevelopmental delay: Anemia affects brain development and connectivity, especially in the hippocampus and frontal cortex area, responsible for both emotions and behavior and the thought.
Delayed motor development: Since there is a lack of nutrients and oxygen in the neurons, fewer brain connections are produced, delaying the development of gross and fine motor skills.</p >
Delayed cognitive development: The iron deficiency that causes anemia affects the development of thinking, memory, attention and reasoning.
Effects on behavior: Less ability to control impulses. In boys it produces deficiencies in attention span and in girls it causes aggression.
In general health: Anemia can cause immunological and hormonal deficiencies that make us prone to contracting diseases and delay growth.
Common symptoms of anemia:A balanced, healthy diet rich in macro and micronutrients is our main weapon against anemia. If the child has a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is necessary to talk to their doctor or nutritionist to find the correct nutrient supplement.
Periodically visit the pediatrician for adequate weight and height control.
Have good habits in activity and rest schedules in accordance with age. It must be taken into account that due to the metabolism of melatonin, children between 3 and 5 years old should not take naps and should sleep 10 to 12 hours at night.
Ricardo De León / Gloria Elena Gurmendi
Department of Psychology
Sources:
“How to teach our children and young people to be supportive?”
According to Montessori pedagogy, human beings go through different “sensitive periods or sensitive periods.” They are stages or moments of development in which we are predisposed and it becomes easier for us to learn a special skill, using our senses and our entire being to achieve it. In this way we have successively gone through […]
22 March, 2024
Recommendations for a good start to the school year in virtual mode
We will be starting the 2021 school year in the non-face-to-face modality and everyone at home must be prepared so that our children and adolescents are motivated and are guaranteed a stable learning environment. Good internet service It is important to hire a good internet service that allows our children to be connected and use […]
22 March, 2024
On April 2, we celebrate “World Autism Awareness Day”.According to WHO statistics, one in every 160 children worldwide has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), although in low- or middle-income countries like ours, the prevalence has not been extensively studied.Individuals with ASD experience a disorder that affects neurological development. It is typically detected before the age of […]
25 March, 2024
