Anaemia in adolescent girls
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, and a fast heartbeat
As teens go through rapid growth spurts during puberty, they are at risk of iron deficiency anaemia. During a growth spurt, the body has a greater need for all types of nutrients, including iron.
Iron deficiency anaemia is more common in adolescent girls than boys. That’s because a girl needs more iron to compensate for the blood lost during her menstrual periods.
If your child gets tired easily and has pale skin and lips, bring her to the doctor. Anaemia can be discovered during a medical examination through a blood test.
The management of anaemia in adolescent girls involves menstrual regulation, a balanced diet and, in the case of iron deficiency, iron supplementation.
You should provide your daughter a well-balanced diet with foods that contain iron. Good sources of iron include:
• Meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, liver, and other organ meats.
• Poultry, such as chicken, duck and turkey.
• Fish, including shellfish.
• Leafy greens vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach
• Legumes, such as green peas, soybeans and tofu.
• Iron-enriched white bread, pasta, rice, and cereals
Encourage your daughter to drink citrus juice or eat other foods high in vitamin C to increase the body’s absorption of iron. Although green vegetables contain lots of iron, the iron from many vegetables comes in a form that is difficult for the body to absorb, but vitamin C can help.
If your child is diagnosed with anaemia, the doctor may prescribe iron supplements. It usually must be taken for as long as three months to rebuild the body’s store of iron.
If your daughter has abnormal menses, such as very heavy menses, periods which last much longer than normal, or periods which don’t come regularly, she has a higher risk of getting anaemia.
Some girls suffer more than others with heavy bleeding or experience irregular menstrual cycles, particularly in the first three years of menstruation. You should make an appointment with her doctor to check for possible problems.