Manage Anaemia in Children

Causes of Anaemia

Anaemia occurs when the blood doesn’t have adequate red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues. This may occur when:

• Body fails to make sufficient red blood cells
• Loss of red blood cells due to bleeding 
• Body itself destroys the red blood cells produced.

Also, there are different types of Anaemia have based on various causes. They are:

• Iron deficiency Anaemia: It is the most common type of Anaemia. This is caused by the deficiency of iron in the body. Without sufficient iron, body cannot produce ample haemoglobin for red blood cells. It can occur in many pregnant women, in ladies due to blood loss from heavy menstrual bleeding, due to an ulcer, cancer or regular use of some medicines.
• Vitamin deficiency Anaemia. Besides iron, body also needs folate and vitamin B-12 to produce sufficient healthy red blood cells. If the diet lack these nutrients, it can lead to reduced red blood cell production.
• Aplastic Anaemia. This is a rare type of anaemia but can be life-threatening.Aplastic anaemia occurs when the body fails to produce enough red blood cells. It can be due to infections, autoimmune diseases, certain medicines, or exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Sickle cell Anaemia. This is an inherited type of anaemia. Sometimes it can become a serious condition leading to haemolytic anaemia. It is the condition where the red blood cells take an abnormal crescent (sickle) shape and impairs its haemoglobin transporting capacity. These blood cells die early, causing a chronic reduction in red blood cells.

There are also other types of Anaemia like Anaemia associated with bone marrow disease, Haemolytic Anaemia, Thalassemia etc.