Iron Def. Annemia

Hi, my 4 year old son has Vonwillebrands and colitis so he also has to take iron drops 2 times a day. He really likes taking them and asks if you forget. The stuff he takes is called Ferrous Sulfate Drops made by MGP. I haven't noticed any color change in his teeth and he's been on them since July of last year. Also if he really doesn't like taking them try putting them in just a little bit of unwatered down juice, that seems to work for mine.

Hi C..

My son was severely anemic at 9 months (also had absolutely no symptoms) and has been on drops for the last 3 months. I found that he hated the fer-in-sol that the doctor said to get. My pharmasist and I did some research and found another brand, called MGP ferrous sulfate drops (NDC number 60432-057-50 any pharmacy should be able to order this for you with this number). They have the same iron percentage and everything but they have the added benefit of having lime juice (citrus juice aids in iron absorbtion) and they don't stain. To me, they still don't taste great but Evan just sucks them down 3 times a day no problem. I still make sure to nurse him (or give him water) right afterward though to get the taste out of his mouth. About the teeth, Evan's started to change color only recently and I have been assured that as soon as he is off the drops, they will return to white but to keep brushing them since they should get used to the routine anyway. Another trick to keep in mind since you know your son has the problem, is that when they take him off the drops, an easy way to make sure that he gets iron in his diet is to buy a piece of calf liver. Cook it in the oven a bit and then freeze it in a plastic bag. When you are preparing his food, use a grater and grate some liver onto the food. He will not taste it at all and you will know he is still getting iron. Oh, one more thing, I noticed that if I let Evan sit up and just put the dropper in his mouth without restraining him he was better about taking them than lying him down and holding his hands away, it is worth a try! Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

hi C., i will answer your teeth question. my duaghter's teeth started getting a shade of grey when she was taking vitamins with iron.
i took her to pediatric dentist who cleaned them for her. she said that will change color again but to bring her from time to time. wedll, my daughter didn't have to take the vitamins too long after that visit so we didn't go back. juts for info, my daughter was 11 months at the time we went to pediatric dentsist
good luck
vlora

C.,

This is something I need to look into for my son also. He is almost a year and is still exclusively breastfed. It is very common for them to be iron deficient. I have not yet purchased an iron supplement. A good friend, who has had her 3 kids on iron supplements in the past suggested that I go to my local health food store. She said the plant/herbal based formula is easier to digest and tastes better. SHe did not have any problems with discolored teeth. It may be worth looking in to. If you are still breastfeeding, you can also take an iron supplement, which will then get more to your son. I know from experience the common pill-form is not well digested or absorbed. There is often someone who can answer questions at the health food store. Good luck

J.

If the iron supplement is the stinky, black one - I had to give this to my baby as well - the only way I could get it in was to hold her in my arms and I used a medicine syringe to squirt it into her nouth in little squirts at a time. I also noticed that iron supplements tend to cause constipation, so be wary of this. Try giving baby more liquids and perhaps even keep some prune juice at home. Feeding baby smally pieces of orange, or freshly squeezed orange juice also helps with constipation. I tried coaxing my little one into taking it freely, but it really didn't work, no matter how much I bribed her. I guess it's just the yucky taste and smell. Keep well and God Bless.

Not all, but some pharmacies are allowed to flavor meds. You will have to call around, but they CAN do it. as far as the teeth, just have him drink water/milk and be glad they will eventually fall out. By then he can swallow the pills.
good luck

I recommend sticking it in a little bit of juice. My neighbor does this and her son takes his meds.

Hi C.
I too went thru this with my now 2 year old daughter. I also had NO clue that there was a problem, so don't stress yourself about that. A trick that helped me with both issues (taking it and staining the teeth) is to point the medicine dropper to the side of the mouth. Like you're squirting it into the cheek. There is a natural reflex to swallow AND the medicine has less contact with the front teeth. Hope this helps.

C.,

I am accustome to this sort of problem since my son has a rare metobolic disorder and takes about 6 diff meds a day. The pharmacy can usually add something to the med even if it is over the counter to flavor it. You can try that. It usually costs about $2 a prescription. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. Call the Pharmacy to find out first.

C. what i would do is hide it in applesauce or a hot dog... i had to give my dog pills that way and when my bestfriend's son had to take a med that was like that we hide his and it worked. For Jessica her son eat it better in hotdogs b/c we could cover it with ketup and mustard so it didnt taste so bad. I hope this helps.