# Floradix for Babies?



## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

My one year old is anemic.







We found out today and the ped gave us a prescription for some iron medicine but said it tastes awful.

Has anyone here used Floradix for their little ones? Is there a specific kind for babies/toddlers? I couldn't find dosage info on their website.

Was it effective? Or did you have to use the iron drops? I took Floradix when pg but it didn't help and I ended up having to take iron pills. But given that it tastes fine and isn't from a meat source, I was hoping to find it's okay to give to my baby.

Anyone have experience with this?

TIA!


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## North_Of_60 (May 30, 2006)

Were his iron levels that low that it _has_ to be treated with medicine? I would tr diet first and then retest if it's not that bad.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Ped said the levels were too low to treat with diet only (9.5 or something), especially since she still nurses alot. She eats solids at least thee times a day though, but it's been mostly fruits and some veggies, and yogurt. Her weight was also low compared to past visits but she's a LOT more mobile now than she was back then too.

I asked about increasing iron in her diet plus the medicine being too much iron and ped said it would not be too much, since we needed to replenish her iron store as well as the iron in her cirulatory system (or something like that).

I felt awful







The ped's usually nice and I was expecting this to be a wonderful visit, as the baby's doing so well in all other areas and doesn't look skinny at all. But I came away from it feeling very incompetent, like my milk wasn't good enough for the baby.


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## tamagotchi (Oct 16, 2005)

We were in the same situation and our family dr recommended Floradix instead of iron drops. She said to give him 1 tsp twice a day. He likes the flavor. We haven't had him re-tested yet, so I can't tell you how effective it is, but she said that Floradix is what she generally recommends to her patients.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tamagotchi* 
We were in the same situation and our family dr recommended Floradix instead of iron drops. She said to give him 1 tsp twice a day. He likes the flavor. We haven't had him re-tested yet, so I can't tell you how effective it is, but she said that Floradix is what she generally recommends to her patients.

Thanks! My big fear is that it won't work for her, since it didn't for me while I was pg. I think we'll try the liquid drops and see if she'll tolerate them, and if not then go to the Floradix plus iron-fortified cereal.

Ugh. This sucks. I'm not anemic (had a physical not long ago) and since baby gets mostly breastmilk for nutrition, I assumed my breastmilk wasn't iron deficient. What a terrible feeling that the breastmilk I give my babe is lacking.


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## Lady Lilya (Jan 27, 2007)

Apples are high in iron. High enough that when I would drink cider during the fall (when it is readily available) I would have dramatically worse menstrual periods (due to my body trying to shed the extra iron).

For those ladies here who know more about iron, can't it be passed to the child through the breast milk? Should the mother have herself checked for iron deficiency? Can a diet change in the mother make a difference.


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## SabbathD (Apr 4, 2006)

From Kellymom. check out the whole page, full of good info!! http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

Quote:

*Note*: Additional iron intake by the mother will *not* increase iron levels in breastmilk, even if the mother is anemic. Iron supplements taken by mom may produce constipation in baby. Anemia in the nursing mother has been associated with poor milk supply, however.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SabbathD* 
From Kellymom. check out the whole page, full of good info!! http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html

Thanks! And my milk supply is still really good, and I'm not anemic, so I'm really confused as to how the baby is since easily 70%+ of her nutrition is breastmilk. Will check out the links. Thank you!


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## huggerwocky (Jun 21, 2004)

just curious, why did she get tested and how ?


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *huggerwocky* 
just curious, why did she get tested and how ?

The ped said it was standard to test for iron levels at one year and everything I'd read supported that. They pricked her finger (at the end of the visit per my insistence since I wanted to be able to let her nurse and calm down afterward and not have to undergo any weighing or examination while upset). My DH held her and I stood in front of her talking to her and explaining how it would hurt but only for a minute and I was so very sorry but we wanted to make sure she was healthy.

When the nurse pricked her finger (with one of those little plastic gadgets tht does it fast) she seemed okay then once the nurse squeezed her little finger, she SCREAMED. It was awful and the second the nurse finished I took the baby and offered her the breast. She was crying so hard she wouldn't even nurse. I felt terrible and sat there telling her it was okay to cry and mama was so sorry. What a horrible thing. And the very worst part is now the ped says we have to come back in 6-8 weeks for another finger prick to make sure her iron levels are up.

I'm so torn. I want to make sure my child is healthy and learning she's anemic made me feel absolutely horrid because I would have been adding iron fortified cereal to her diet had I thought it was even a remote possibility. But she has lots of energy and eats well and nurses a lot still (7x in 24 hours at least) and since I'm not anemic I thought for sure she was fine.

And I almost didn't let them test her but the ped made me feel guilty, and when the results came back that her iron was low, then I felt even worse.








Sorry you probably didn't want all that but I'm still very upset about the whole thing and just feel awful. i want my baby to be healthy and have started giving her iron-fortified organic oatmeal with every solids "meal" she gets, but I dread going back in for another appointment.


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

Doesn't floradix have honey in it? I think there's a children's version without honey.


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## huggerwocky (Jun 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BelgianSheepDog* 
Doesn't floradix have honey in it? I think there's a children's version without honey.

it doesn't say honey here

I used to get Floradix as a child, my mom's a nurse, too


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