If my baby has anemia, is it safe to give him iron supplements?

Yes: Not only is it safe, but it is essential. Untreated iron-deficiency anemia can lead to permanent problems with school and behavior. Iron is absolutely essential to normal human health. If a baby's iron is low and he cannot get it in his diet, he must take supplements.

No: If your doctor tells you that your baby is anemic, she will discuss with you the type of anemia and its cause. She will explain that sometimes iron is an appropriate therapy, sometimes other medicines will be better. In fact, sometimes iron is a bad treatment, depending on the cause of the anemia.

Yes: If your baby has been diagnosed with iron deficiency, use only the iron supplement prescribed by your doctor. Make sure you have an appointment to repeat blood work in a few months to follow up. Do not use any vitamin or mineral supplements without consulting your pediatrician.

Yes: It is safe to give your child iron if he/she is anemic. Usually that is directed by your physician. Routinely we check for anemia at age one. If it is mild then i suggest over-the-counter multivitamin with iron. If it is moderate to severe, then further workup is done to determine an underlying cause. Iron can be toxic in overdose so it is always important to keep it out of children's reach.

Yes: If the doctor recommends iron supplements for a baby's anemia, then it is safe to follow the doctor's advice (as long as the doctor sees the baby off and on to monitor the amount of anemia while using iron supplements). Not all types of anemia are treated with iron, so a parent should not give a child extra iron without the advice of the doctor.

Provided Fe ....: Deficiency is the cause of the anemia. While this is the most common reason for anemia in a young child, it is not the only cause. And even if it is, knowing why it occurred is important because that problem must be corrected to prevent the fe deficiency state from recurring. And if the problem is something else, fe supplements may be ineffective or even harmful.

Depends: Iron only helpful if iron deficiency anemia is present.