Low hemoglobin in toddler

Define low: After somewhat elevated hemoglobin levels around birth, infants grow faster than their blood is produced & have relatively low hemoglobin levels in infancy and childhood when compared to teen or adult values. The expected hemoglobin values vary by age and gender.If really low, it most often reflects nutritional deficiency , specifically for iron, but could also be due to losses.

Most common low iron: The most common cause of anemia in a toddler is iron deficiency. Usually this occurs in a toddler that drinks alot of milk, and not much else (not eating foods rich in iron). This is easily diagnosed and reversible with iron supplementation. If this is not the cause, then either blood loss (small amount in stool over time?) or hemoglobinopathy possible (and other things) - see a peds hematologist.