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loulou

iron deficiency

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Hi everyone,

 

I've just read a letter from yesterday's Sunday Times magazine which i found really interesting and wanted to share it.

 

It was about a study by French scientists linking ADHD with iron deficiency in children.

 

Quote;

 

"They have linked iron deficiency to ADHD after discovering that 84% of those children studied who had been diagnosed with the condition had low iron levels, compared with just 18% of those children who were not diagnosed with the disorder".

 

That got me thinking, as my son has ADHD/?AS and he always looks pale. He is a very fussy eater and hardly eats any iron rich food. Unfortunately he has a severe needle phobia, so it's impossible to check his iron levels!

 

I looked into iron deficiency anaemia a bit further and found out that low iron levels in children can lead to lack of concentration and behavioural problems.

 

I'm going to try iron supplements on my son and see if it makes any difference.

 

(I wouldn't advise anyone giving their child iron supplements before discussing it with a Doctor/Health Visitor)

 

Loulou xxxx

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Hello Loulou,

That sounds really interesting. Our grandson (now dx ASD) has had iron deficiency and had to go on medicine for a while. The specialist told our daughter this was not uncommon in children with Joe's problems.

The iron medicine didn't seem to do much except make him constipated but the deficiency was not that serious (he took it for3 months).

I wonder how many other children like ours suffer from iron deficiency and whether ASD is actually linked to it.

Love Joe's gran.

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Hi Joe's Gran,

 

It would be interesting to find out if there IS a link.

 

There's so much stuff in the media at the moment about Omega 3 and concentration, but until today, i've not heard anything about iron deficiency.

 

Does anyone else have any info about it?

 

I got Spatone to give my son, because it's a natural source of iron and doesn't cause tummy upsets. It comes in sachets and you add it to their drink. I'll try it later and see if he tastes it!

 

 

Loulou

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I hadn't heard about the iron deficiency link before. We give our 4yr-old a multi-vitamin supplement each day. Within a week of starting them there was a big difference in his behaviour. Even now, if he misses a day you can tell within a day or so that something is definitely amiss.

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Sounds interesting, hadn't heard of the iron one before. We give our son the eye-q fish oils and also vits A,C,D because the eye-q already has E in it. Might look into iron because he is a poor eater, hence the vit supplements, and is always pale. You can tell when he has missed a day or so because his behaviour becomes terrible, tantrums, rages and just being so unreasonable, the thing is if it takes a couple of months for these things to get into your system, howcome missing just a couple of days has such an affect?

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Hiya

 

When Robyn went for her appointment at Alder Hey they took blood. Last week we got a letter from our Gp asking us to bring Robyn in. The blood results showed she is anemic (hope ive spelled that right). She is now on medicine. She has always had a pastey complexion from a baby. Her sister is olive skinned and looks like she has been on holiday all year round.

 

Iwas really interested to read this. Nellie what would we do without you.

 

kerry

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I too have another child who has lovely skin, he only has to look at the sun and goes brown. Unfortunately my pale son with ASD is terrified of needles, went for a blood test for gluten and lactose allergy and was screaming so much that his vessles constricted and they couldn't take blood, which just made him worse :crying: Guess there's no other way of testing for anemia other than blood :(

 

Came back negative for the gluten and lactose tests, which was one big relief :thumbs:

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Late comer to this thread, but, as they used to say on Rowan and Martin about a million years ago - very interesting...

Ben has always been a pasty faced little thing, and in the process of getting blood tests done for something else it was discovered recently that he is slightly anaemic.

He's been on Iron for about two and a half weeks now, and in the past week his behaviour has been wonderful. Now this may have nothing whatsoever to do with iron - He had been 'peaking' before, and his behaviour is cyclic, so it's possible he's just in a 'coming down' phase, but - who knows; there could be a connection...

If i suddenly end up with a 'new improved Ben' on a long term basis, I'll let you know...

Downside is hard poo (a problem that didn't need adding to)... Oh, and he keeps spinning madly when we pass the breakers yard's electro-magnet (haha)

bd

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Hi everyone,

 

Kai has been on iron for three weeks now, and overall, his behaviour has been better.

 

The main difference i've seen, is he's much more hyper, even after his ritalin, but i don't mind too much because he seems much happier. He's had less meltdowns and no violent outbursts. Coincidence? Who knows.

 

His skin looks a more healty colour too.

 

Luckily it hasn't affected his poo, because i've put him on Spatone, which is a natural form of iron :)

 

Loulou x

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Hi there,

 

Can you tell me where to get the iron supplement you mention?

 

Sounds easier than trying to give spoonfuls of plesmet each morning!!!

 

Thanks

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Hi Dorn,

 

You can buy Spatone in Boots, it's about �6 for a 30 sachets. I tried it and you can't taste it in a drink.

 

Loulou x

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Hi Loulou,

Thanks for the suggestion of spatone.Lewis is permanantly pasty faced and terrified of needles too! He also has big dark circles under his eyes (lack of sleep maybe?!) I spoke with a clinical psychologist lately and he said he wanted to do some tests to see if Lewis is deficient in Iron and other minerals as they can have a huge impact on behaviours if he is. Its got to be worth a try but as for the blood test i dont know if i can put him through it as he is totally terrified.Lewisis to have skin urine hair and bloods done. I will let you know how it goes. Good to hear this spatone has no effect on the constipation as Lewis was born constipated!!!

Thanks guys,

Take care

Kirstie

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Hi Kirstie -

Re Lewis and blood tests; They can now apply a cream to the skin which acts as a 'local'. Using this, and distracting attention with (i.e.) a Where's Wally puzzle Ben isn't even aware that the blood's being taken. They apply the cream about 20 minutes beforehand, and it really does the business. I've actually arranged Ben's next test (next Tuesday!) at the GP's clinic rather than the hospital, as it's easier all round.

I appreciate that just the fact that something 'unusual' is going on can be traumatic, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. A few years ago Ben had to have blood taken for other reasons. No cream, just him clinging to me screaming while one nurse held his arm steady and the other did the necessary. Brrrrrr Hugely upsetting for both of us. It's a very different situation now, thanks to this ("Emla" - I think) cream stuff.

Hope that's helpful/reassuring, and very best with any action you may decide to take.

BD :D

PS: another quick thought re 'born constipated"! Ditto with Ben... He used to bung up so badly he suffered 'solid' vomiting. 2 years with a consultant Paed trying all the usual (Senna/Fybogel etc) + some other stuff I threw back after reading up on the possible side effects got us nowhere... Eliminated Dairy from his diet, problem solved within DAYS. Not always the problem (or solution!) I know, but worth a shot if you haven't tried already...

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Thanks Badders,

I think i will just have to give it a bash with the blood tests.his SALT is great when i need her to knock me up a social story so i might give that a go too!

As for the dairy foods, well it does ring alarm bells with me, although my young man doesn't eat too much he does drink vast amounts of milk. You know i think the landing light has just come on!!!!!! duh! Lewis was so sick as a baby always the projectile vomiting, i wish i had had him tested long ago. Looks like some magic cream a social story and more kleenex is the order of the day! :crying:

Take care,

Love Kirstie.

p.s- erm, may i ask you something? Half butterfly half donkey????????????!!

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Hi Kirsty -

You may... I didn't explain it very well...

It's from a book by Stuart Sutcliffe; a ten year old boy's description of his best friend, who's mind generally flits from one thing to the next with no apparent pause for thought whatsoever, but who can dig his heels in and be absolutely immovable over tiny points that seem totally irrelevant to everyone else.

I thought it was the best description of my son specifically and autism generally I've read in ages!

Oh - and I've also got wings and weigh 2 tons ;) which is about the cleanest joke I could make, given the available material ;):lol:

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Thank you for that, Isn't it lovely?! it does sound like Lewis too. You have wings??! how cool are you!

And thank you for keeping that one clean am eating my chinese right now!!!!! ;)

Love K.

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Hi Kirstie,

 

The story that goes with the special cream is about a hedgehog that sheds its spikes and has to have them replaced but has the "magic" cream put on and has them replaced painlessly. If that's any help with a social story.

The other magic cream that is used by some medical people is called Ametop. It has to be on at least 30 minutes to work and the Emla needs 45 minutes to an hour to work.The cream is applied to the area of skin over a good vein, two sites usually used to make sure that the blood test will be successful,the cream is covered with a clear plaster to keep the cream in place for the stated time. The plaster is removed after the said time and the cream is wiped off. The numbness to the skin over the vein should last 4-6 hours so don't worry if the blood is not taken immediately after the cream comes off. Hope this helps to prepare for a blood test. No child should have to go through a blood test without it.

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My daughter (6) has just been diagnosed with ASD. when she was three she was severely anaemic. She was put on a course of iron medicine and nearly had to have a transfusion. I was told that it was because she didn't eat properly and she was malnourished!!!!!!!!!!! (you can imagine what I felt like saying to them).

 

If this could of been to do with her autism then I would really really like to know because I was made to feel like a very bad mother, not feeding my child properly when I knew it wasn't true. She did have a bad appetite when she was younger but eats like a horse now!

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When T was 6months old he became a failure to thrive baby, he was dx'd as severly anemic (can't spell that one), he had to have a heavily iron enriched diet, but was still a pasty faced little thing at 2.5, he also went a very nice yellowly colour but it wasnt jaundice during this time .... Sharonv - they said the same to me, and I was breast feeding, eating a very healthy and enriched diet, T was only just being weaned onto solids, so there was a mix of me and other foods, but no gluten or dairy.

 

Now though you wouldnt believe he had been a failure to thrive, great big lurking thing that he is now, but I have read other places about a link with ASD and iron deficiencies, it seems to common not to be taken seriously, I believe that T hadan intolerance to iron, and was therefore not able to absorb it at the time. We are going to bibic in july, and then T will have a full dietary assessment, and we will see where we are at. By the way iron is one of the hardest supplements to absorb, a lot of it passes through, natural ones are best or the iron enriced foods, but not many self respecting children like watercress or brocoli or spinach very much.

 

HHxx

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Hi just a thought my son is dx adhd dyspraxia and aspergergers his grandad is coeliac and the initial test that led to him being dx coeliac was an iron deficiency test do you think there could be a link also wondering if it is worth getting my son checked for coeliac or am i just being a neurotic mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wacko:

Edited by pengdeb

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