A blood test in a newborn is given in order to exclude pathology. Elevated hemoglobin in a newborn baby causes the mother to become anxious. This condition is the norm for a small person. Why hemoglobin changes in the baby and whether this is the norm will be discussed in this article.
What is hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is a blood pigment that depends on respiration. It is involved in the transport of oxygen into the cell and the removal of carbon dioxide. Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cell. It consists of two parts: a globin protein and a heme containing iron in divalent form.
If the hemoglobin in a newborn is increased or decreased, then the body experiences a deficiency or excess of oxygen. Children under one year of age have specific hemoglobin compared with adults. The hemoglobin of the newborn can be high, and this is considered normal.
A change in hemoglobin is not an independent disease, but occurs due to physiological or pathological reasons.
Hemoglobin level in a newborn
After passing the tests in a daily child, parents will find out that hemoglobin is elevated in the blood of the newborn. This indicator varies depending on the presence of the disease, quality of nutrition, full-term baby and changes with age.
The hemoglobin value of a newborn baby is 170–220 g / l, which is significantly higher than that of an adult. After some time, the indicator begins to decline.
By the month, the norm decreases to 107-171 g / l. By six months, the maximum figure should be 165 g / l
Average data for a certain age are a guideline for a doctor and should not be used by parents for self-treatment.
If hemoglobin does not decrease in a month-old baby or continues to grow, then additional research is required to exclude the disease.
In children under 16 years of age, hemoglobin rates are higher than in adults. At 16–18 years of age, 120–160 g / l is considered a normal indicator. In women, hemoglobin is lower than in men.
Symptoms of increased hemoglobin
High hemoglobin in the newborn should not bother the mother for the first 3 months if the numbers are within the recommended range for this age. If iron has very high rates, then this can be the result of a serious illness.
Parents need to know the main symptoms of high hemoglobin:
- drowsiness;
- fatigue
- pallor of the skin, characteristic redness appears in places;
- lethargy;
- moodiness.
Symptoms are not specific, it is impossible to determine from them that the hemoglobin in the blood of a newborn baby is elevated. But such behavior should alert the mother and become an occasion for an additional appeal to the pediatrician for advice.
The doctor will direct you to a clinical blood test, which will show whether the change in hemoglobin is the cause of this condition of the child. The analysis will identify or rule out other irregularities.
Causes of High Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin in a newborn is elevated and may not decrease over time for several reasons:
- Living a newborn in the mountains. Due to oxygen deficiency, an increase in indicators is a compensation for an unusual way of life for a person.
- The birth of a child in a gassed city or metropolis. If the newborn lives in a city with an unfavorable environmental situation, then it experiences oxygen deficiency. The body, increasing hemoglobin, compensates for oxygen deficiency.
- In a smoking mother in a newborn, hemoglobin is increased. The reason is that the fetus triggers defenses and increases red blood cell production.
- Dehydration caused by a lack of fluid in the body of a newborn. When breastfeeding, this may indirectly indicate a shortage of milk.
A thick blood concentration can be triggered by:
- congenital diseases;
- oncology;
- bowel obstruction;
- blood disease
- allergies
- pulmonary fibrosis;
- kidney disease
- severe burns.
If the hemoglobin in the blood of a newborn baby is increased due to illnesses, then he needs adequate treatment, otherwise it can negatively affect the future well-being of the baby.
How to lower high hemoglobin?
If the hemoglobin in the blood of a newborn is increased, then it is impossible to reduce with medications. The drugs have side effects and a number of contraindications. A mother who is breastfeeding should eat a diet with a reduced amount of iron.
Do not abuse buckwheat, red fruits and red berries. The amount of meat, liver and eggs should be reduced in the diet. Sweet foods enhance the absorption of iron, so they also need to be excluded.
Mom's nutrition should be enriched with fiber, to eliminate constipation. But the fish can be increased, because it contains little iron.
It is necessary to give water to the baby even while breastfeeding, which helps to thin the blood.
Insufficient humidity in the room where the child is located enhances perspiration and provokes dehydration. To avoid this, you should install a humidifier or hang the battery with wet towels, put water containers in the room.
Low hemoglobin
Most often, in a newborn, hemoglobin is increased, low rates are rare. Parents need to know the main symptoms of low hemoglobin in infants :
- dehydration;
- pallor of the skin;
- drowsiness;
- fast fatiguability;
- lack of stool for a long time;
- the skin becomes dry and flaky;
- nails become brittle;
- the surface of the tongue becomes smooth and shiny;
- decreased immunity;
- loss of appetite;
- dyspnea;
- prolonged crying due to headaches.
The reasons for the decrease in the number of red blood cells are as follows:
- severe maternal anemia during pregnancy;
- blood loss during childbearing;
- severe pregnancy with circulatory disorders of the placenta;
- hereditary intestinal disease;
- rapid growth of the baby after birth (in this case, hemoglobin drops by 3 months);
- malnutrition of a newborn, artificial nutrition with not adapted milk mixtures;
- multiple pregnancy;
- low iron content in the diet of a nursing mother;
- prematurity;
- prolonged toxicosis during pregnancy;
- genetic diseases;
- congenital malformations.
Low hemoglobin prevents tissues from getting enough oxygen. This can lead to physical and mental retardation. Daily walks in the fresh air increase hemoglobin production.
How to increase hemoglobin?
With anemia, a nursing mother should know how to increase hemoglobin in a newborn baby. To do this, you should review your diet. It must include:
- fish, red meat;
- beef tongue and liver;
- offal;
- bird;
- vegetables, fruits and berries;
- buckwheat, bean.
In the absence of allergies in the child, nursing mother can drink pomegranate juice, eat red caviar, eggs, walnuts and hematogen.
Artificially fed infants should be given an adapted infant formula fortified with iron. Do not feed children with cow or goat milk.
With severe anemia, the pediatrician prescribes iron preparations, which should be given to the baby strictly according to the instructions.
Newborn anemia
Newborn anemia occurs with a decrease in red blood cell production. The disease is of the following types:
- anemia of premature babies;
- iron deficiency;
- hemolytic occurs due to the Rh conflict of the mother and child;
- alimentary (after 5 months);
- arising after infection;
- autoimmune is characterized by the appearance of red blood cells of irregular shape, which leads to oxygen starvation;
- Yaksha-Guyema anemia leads to a serious condition;
- hemoblastosis;
- hemoplastic anemia is manifested by a violation of the synthesis of red blood cells.
The severity determines mild, moderate and severe anemia. The final diagnosis will be made by a pediatrician or neonatologist. When determining the severity, the patient's age, course of pregnancy, and other factors are taken into account.