TD is a 4-year-old boy who was brought by her mother for routine check-up. According to the mother, TD had a poor appetite was a “picky-eater”. The boy has a liking for processed beverages and sweetened snacks and that is what the mother has been feeding him since that is what the boy prefers the most. While the boy was within the normal growth and development percentiles, tests revealed HCT- 29% and HGB- 10.0 g/dL.
Guided by the objective and subjective findings, it is apparent that the boy was suffering from iron deficiency anemia. As Baker & Greer (2010), assert, low hematocrit and hemoglobin levels are red-flag findings for iron-deficiency anemia. The management of this condition involved an iron supplement prescription as well as patient education. Taking into account that this is a pediatric case, the mother was educated on how to go about the management of iron deficiency anemia as well as the prevention of such a condition in future. This patient education mainly focused on diets as well as helping the mother develops a dietary plan for the 4-year-old. In this connection, an iron-rich diet (green vegetables, red-meat and iron-fortified cereals) dietary plan was developed, to help in addressing the iron deficit and preventing the condition in the future. According to Pasricha et al. (2010), a dietary approach is pretty effective in addressing iron deficiency in the body. Additionally, the mother was educated on the need for closely monitoring the child’s health for any other abnormalities that may arise as a result of the condition.
One of the surprising aspects during the identification of this diagnosis is how pediatric hematological disorders can be asymptomatic. The 4-year old was seemingly within a normal growth pattern and were it not for the mother’s concern about his appetite, perhaps this condition could have gone undiagnosed and subsequently progress to severe levels. According to Janus & Moerschel (2010), iron deficiency anemia is asymptomatic in children and hence the need for conducting a comprehensive pediatric assessment including all hematological tests. Consistent with the class-room studies, there is an underscoring for holistic assessment when it comes to pediatric care since various pediatric conditions, mainly hematological are asymptomatic and may present overlapping symptoms. A holistic assessment that pursues an in-depth understanding of the child’s behavior and general health can go a long way in the accurate diagnosis of pediatric conditions.
References
Baker, R. D., & Greer, F. R. (2010). Diagnosis and prevention of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia in infants and young children (0–3 years of age). Pediatrics, 126(5), 1040-1050.
Janus, J., & Moerschel, S. K. (2010). Evaluation of anemia in children.American family physician, 81(12), 1462-1471.
Pasricha, S. R., Flecknoe-Brown, S. C., Allen, K. J., Gibson, P. R., McMahon, L. P., Olynyk, J. K., & Wood, E. M. (2010). Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anaemia: a clinical update. Med J Aust,193(9), 525-32.
