Anemia

Amongst today’s children

Types of Anemia

• Hemolytic anemia: In this case, red blood cells get destroyed before they are suppose to be. Infections form due to the fact that the bone marrow can not keep up with the demand of blood cells.

Types of Anemia

• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: In this form of anemia, the red blood cells are destroyed by the immune system because it believes that the red blood cells are invaders. Examples include:

– SicklSicklee C Ceell Anll Aneemiamia: Is inherited, mostly “ affects African American population, as well as individuals of the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Latin American descent” (Marotz, 119).

– ThalassThalasseemia/Coolmia/Cooleey’s Any’s Aneemia:mia: Red blood cells live for a short period of time and iron is “deposited in the skin” (Miller, MD).

Types of Anemia

– Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency : The enzyme G6PD doesn’t function properly or a sufficient amount isn't produced. Usually affects African Americans.

– Hereditary spherocytosis: genetic, can cause a person to turn yellow, have anemia, and have an enlarged spleen. Mostly affects those from European Countries.

– Iron-deficient anemia: Little iron is in the blood stream.

Symptoms

• Any person with anemia can have one or more of theses symptoms:

• Fatigue• Dizziness• Fast heartbeat• Irritability

How to Manage

• Name:• Iron Deficiency

Anemia: • Severe Anemia can

cause• Deficiency of

Nutrients• Sickle Cell,

thalassemia, and aplastic anemia

• Medication: • Iron Intakes (drops,

tablets)• Blood transfusions• Folic Acid and B12• Bone Marrow

Transplant

If we know that a child is anemic and…

• They have an enlarged spleen: The child might not be able to play sports such as football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and any other contact sport due to the fact that their spleen can rupture.

• They have to take medication for it: Make sure that the child goes to the nurse at the time indicated by the doctor.

• If the child feels dizzy: allow them to sit down and take a breath.

• *Keep in mind that an iron-deficient anemic child might not be up for doing much homework. Be patient.*

Prevention

• Do not give a baby cow’s milk during the first year of life. It contains less iron than formula, and even less iron than breast milk. Make sure that the formula has enough iron.

• Make sure they eat a “[w]ell balanced diet” (Miller, MD).

• We as future teachers need to be informed about our students and know their medical history because whatever it is that they have will somehow affect each student in the classroom. There can be that one student that might have to go to the nurse every so often to get medication, as I saw when I was younger.

• We might even have to wake some of our students up, not because they are lazy, but because they are so tired due to the fact they don’t have enough nutrients in their system so that they can function accordingly.

• We also have to realize that not everyone has the money to keep their children constantly fed. There might be that one student that is at the top of their class, that comes in one day mad because they couldn’t have breakfast.

Works Cited

• Miller, MD, Robin E. "Anemia." KidsHealth for Nemours. The Nemours Foundation, April 2009. Web. 26 Jan 2011. <http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/anemia.html#>.

• Marotz, Lynn R. . Health, Safety, & Nutrition for the Young Child. 7th. USA: Thomson, 2009. 119. Print.