Does My Toddler Need Iron?

[CurveSpaz]

I would like your opinion on my 12month ds's health these past 5-6 days.

Primary issues:

4am saturday morning, after a fun and busy halloween festival evening, he woke up, rolled around for 20 minutes, then was violently ill all over. This is the first time he has ever vomited. When finished and cleaned up, he was happy as can be. But since that night, has been a fitful sleeper.

2 times on Monday and once on Thursday morning he "burped up" some partially digested food. Only a mouthful, and it didn't seem to bother him at all. All 3 times it was after he had been swinging or hanging upside down. But this has NEVER occurred before now.

Starting Sunday, he has had a decreased appetite to the point of not even eating his favorite foods. He has also refused drink. He has had a increased desire to nurse.

Since Sunday, he has been irritable and tired, rubbing his eyes, with red circles under his eyes, wanting to sleep a LOT. Within one hour of waking, he again wants to sleep. He was sleeping 16+ hours a day. His sleep has either been as hard as a rock or extremely fitful (ie..moaning, rolling around, violently kicking).

His waste has been tan colored, pasty, and foul. Presumably due to decreased appetite, movements have been less frequent than usual by half.

Secondary:

He is a celiac, so does miss out on "normal" fortified toddler foods.

Being a toddler, he is a finnicky eater. Though I offer, he is generally loathe to take meat, and many veggies, preferring fresh fruit, cereal and eggs to all else.

I just resumed my cycle and it ended last Friday morning.

Correllating factors:

I was anemic during pregnancy, and anemia runs in my husband's family.

He had no other visible symptoms, and no digestive complaint or pain. Other than the sleep trouble, vomiting and tiredness, he acts entirely normal: happy and playful.

Our conclusion: iron deficiency.

I know that after 1 yr the iron content of mama milk changes. He does not drink or eat dairy, as he is sensitive to it. I thought that the decreased iron coupled with a further decrease brought on by the return of AF may have cause the deficiency at this time.

We got him a gluten-free children's multivitamin as soon as the store opened this morning at 9am and gave him 5mcg iron worth. Things are tentatively looking up, but I would welcome an opinion. I know that unlike B vitamins and many other vitamins and minerals, iron supplements are quick to compensate if there is a deficiency, so if our hypothesis is correct, we should notice by tonight or tomorrow.

Since taking the multi, he has eaten willingly, though still not at his normal levels, and played actvely for hours without complaint or showing signs of tiredness.

thank you,

Lindsay

[ShayFL]

Iron is one of the leading causes of overdose in children. They dont need very much. I highly recommend getting him tested. They can do a simple pin prick test or a blood draw.