# Is Enfamil the only company that makes Poly Vi Sol Drops?



## momsincmay (Mar 11, 2006)

My pediatrician recommended that I buy poly vi sol drops with iron for my DD. I could only find one brand-Enfamil. I found that a bit odd seeing as everything on the market usually has a generic brand too. Maybe it was just the store I was in, I don't know, that's why I'm asking. Is Enfamil the only company that makes Poly Vi Sol Drops?







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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I don't know, but I would never use them for a healthy baby.

-Angela


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## aanule (Mar 27, 2006)

Yes, it's thier way of cashing in on breastfeeding moms.

A healthy baby should not need anything more than breastmilk, how old is your babe?


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## momsincmay (Mar 11, 2006)

My DD is 25 months old


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

They're usually for infants- why is your ped. even suggesting them?

I can't imagine you could get anything that foul down a toddler....









-Angela


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## Ammaarah (May 21, 2005)

I believe Target has a store brand and also another brand, maybe made by Gerber?


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## mrs_mandolini (Feb 23, 2007)

It also seems like a 25 m.o. could have a children's chewable vitamin, unless they have oral motor issues. I'd ask the dr. for sure.

My preemie has to take extra iron, but I got some from the health food store b/c I knew he only needed the iron, not the other stuff.


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## Rachel J. (Oct 30, 2005)

There's Tri-vi-sol, harder to find but doesn't have all the unecessary synthetic vitamins added. That being said, I'd really try to just increase iron-rich foods if anemia is an issue. The iron found in most supplements, and particularly Poly or trivisol (a necessary evil for some of us with anemic infants), is poorly absorbed and probably feeds bad bacteria in the gut. Include vitamin C with the iron-rich foods and avoid dairy or other high-calcium foods (at the same meal). I can barely get my infant to choke down a tiny bit of Polyvisol, I can't imagine getting it into a 2 yo. That nasty stuff just doesn't hide in ANYTHING! I'm trying to get ds to eat meat and/or liver although he's not biting yet.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

OK I think I know what's happening here. Your dd is breastfed and the ped is worried she's not getting enough iron, right? Does she *actually* have iron deficiency? If she hasn't had a CBC that indicates her iron levels are low, then ask the ped what the F the drops are for. If she does have low iron, then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't start her on those horrid iron drops. Go to Whole Foods or go online and buy this:

Floravital Iron + Herbs*
http://www.wholesalesupplementstore.com/floravital.html

(* this is NOT the same thing as "Floradix". Floravital is free of honey and so it can be used in infants. It is also gluten- and yeast-free. Otherwise, there is no difference between the two.)

My EBF'd ds had low iron (validated through CBC) around 9-10 mos. and I was told to get the mainstream iron drops (Fer-in-Sol). I know from experience using them with my twins that they cause constipation and after reading up on it, I also know that it is really poorly absorbed. The iron in Floradix is much more readily absorbed, does NOT cause constipation, and actually tastes good unlike those nasty mainstream vitamin drops. Also, not sure if your veg*n or not, but we eat meat and I gave ds some all-natural organic liverwurst - cut it into cubes and also spread it on a cracker with cream cheese. He adored it and the heme factor in red meat really aids iron absorbtion.

Also, whenever you give iron rich foods and/or supplements....

* Also give foods rich in Vitamin C (vitamin c aids iron absorbtion)
* AVOID foods rich in Calcium such as dairy products (calcium hinders iron absorbtion)
* If you're not veg*n, try to give your supplement along with foods that naturally contain heme factor, i.e., red meat, to aid the absorbtion of your iron supplement. For example, I would give ds his iron drops followed by a couple of crackers spread with the liverwurst and a slice or two of orange. It doesn't get any more of a magic bullet against iron deficiency than that!







If you don't eat meat, then I would consider eating naturally iron-rich foods along with the iron supplement again to aid absorbtion (such as pepitas, bread made with blackstrap molasses, etc.).

HTH.

oh and p.s., if your ped is just prescribing vitamins "just because" or "as a safety net", I would take that as good evidence it's time to find another ped.


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## CaraNicole (Feb 28, 2007)

_wow i just dug out the PVS i had (gift from great GP) and it is made by enfamil...wow i've never used them but now i kinda want to pour it out and recycle the bottle..._


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## spedteacher30 (Nov 20, 2005)

we use fer-in-sol which are made by goldline. our boy has been tested for anemia at each appointment since 9 months, and his levels are not rising, so the doc finally told me we had to do something.

i keep forgetting to check at WF, but the Fer-in-sol is my preferred mainstream brand, since it is not only not made by Enfamil, it is half the price of Poly-vi-sol.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *spedteacher30* 
we use fer-in-sol which are made by goldline. our boy has been tested for anemia at each appointment since 9 months, and his levels are not rising, so the doc finally told me we had to do something.

i keep forgetting to check at WF, but the Fer-in-sol is my preferred mainstream brand, since it is not only not made by Enfamil, it is half the price of Poly-vi-sol.

not trying to be nosey I swear







but please read my post above and also do an Advanced Search under my username with Floradix as the key word and select "search for Posts"... I've written before about our experiences with iron deficiency and how thrilled we were with that brand & approach and there are maybe a half dozen or so posts of mine in also really great threads about this issue.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Oh also a couple of fun tidbits re: iron deficiency...

1.) Low iron in late infancy is sadly really common in babies born via c-section.







My son was a planned c-sec (which I would do again in a heartbeat btw... sometimes they're a godsend and I mean that literally and you can read my birth story if you are shaking your head







) and I read a lot about low iron in babies born by c-sec due in part to early cord clamping.

2.) Iron levels in breastmilk do NOT change depending on mother's diet or mother's iron levels. So it's got to come from supplements or foods.


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## spedteacher30 (Nov 20, 2005)

we think his anemia is due to:

a) my anemia in pregnancy
b) his food allergies preventing complete absorption of the little iron he does consume.
c) extreme toddler pickiness (he is allergic to beef and won't touch spinach, cream of wheat, cheerios or other calcium fortified foods).

he currently takes 45 mg of ferrous sulfate every day. I have to call the doc anyway to get a note to bring his epipens on the plane on Friday. I will have to ask how much ferrous gluconate to give him. now to find a WF near my office, since the one in our hometown is way out of the way for during the week...


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

how are his lead levels?


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momsincmay* 
My DD is 25 months old


I used a store brand when Rachel was just under a year old, but now, I just buy her kids vitamins for 2 & up. She is going to be 2 on Wednesday. I've been using them for a couple weeks.

The infant ones were teddy's Choice polyvitamins, and now I use OneADay Bugs Bunny.


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## spedteacher30 (Nov 20, 2005)

my partner took him to his 15 month appointment last month, and forgot to ask. i know at 9 months, it was around 9, at 12 months, it was a touch lower, and at 15 months, the report was "it is still low."

I trust our doctor to be smart about this. he defers almost all nutrition questions to the NP/LC on the staff, and doesn't get all crazy about things.

Bigfella is a big boy, and doesn't have any of the risk factors listed on kellymom.

i just noticed you asked about lead. at 9 months, his lead levels were fine. i don't think he gets checked again for lead until age 2, though we might ask if we can't get the iron up. his daycare is brandnew (and in a former doc's office, so no lead paint there) and we repainted all surfaces before getting pregnant, so no lead-based paint chips in our house.

also, the 45 mg of iron is a new requirement. at nine months, he got 15 a day, at 12 months, we bumped to 30 a day. at 15 months, the doc increased to 45 a day, and we increased his vit C intake.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Yeah I'd consider checking it (via intravenous draw to be very accurate, not finger prick which is highly inaccurate for a lead level) again. The thing is, most 9 month olds aren't really at the peak of crawling around and putting EVERYTHING in their mouths. Peds seem to like to check it then which I guess is fine, but I'd want a level at 18 mos or age 2 or whatever.

And by "fine" at 9 months, I assume you mean "< 2.0" or similar - they report actual numbers usually only when they register above 2 or 3. A lead level of 4 or 5, while under the 10.0 limit set by CDC is probably due to low iron and is also hampering his ability to bounce back from iron deficiency. A level above that would get me freaking out and attempting to figure out the source of the lead, working on containment, remediation etc. and also considering chelation.


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## spedteacher30 (Nov 20, 2005)

it was an IV draw, and at 9 months, he was already walking.

i will admit we didn't get too involved in the lead test because that was also the time we discovered his peanut allergy--which threw us for a bigger loop.

we'll have to ask at his 18 month appointment in August. I am hoping that the iron levels will have increased. my mother gently reminded me that my niece and nephew both were anemic for a good chunk of their early life too, but outgrew it by age 2...


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