Xpost-Low iron and duodenal atresia

June 25, 2010

I wanted to pass on some news about as you have been kind enough to listen

to me whine about her health problems all these years. After her most recent

hospitalization for severe anemia she was treated by a hematologist as well as a

gastroenterologist. They put their collective " ologies " together and came up

with the plan to treat the iron depletion first. Noone ever suggested this

before....low iron, and other nutrients were considered a result of GI disease.

I've learned the hard way how extremely important iron stores are to the

wellbeing of the brain and the heart and general health.

She had 8 IV infusions of iron over a period of 9 weeks. Her most recent labs

show her hemoglobin and iron numbers to be in the normal range. She is no longer

yellow (this was attributed to my feeding her too muchy carotene, and low iron

to my not giving her enough meat). She's no longer pasty and pale and cold. And

I almost want to say she is no longer " retarded " but of course that's not quite

the case. We've had a pretty intense Verbal Behavior program going for the past

couple of months and she is talking so much more and willing to vocalize and

learning so much more quickly.

Because of what you all were posting about low iron I did some checking and

apparently one of the 4 reasons given for an inability to absorb iron can be

small intestinal surgery, in particular the duodenum..which results in a much

smaller area of absorbable intestine. This is where most iron is absorbed. So

while I'm ready to go kick some more doctor butt because absolutely noone in all

these years has put this together I did want to get the word out there to any of

you who's children have had duodenal atresia or stenosis surgery as babies to be

vigilant about iron levels.

I, like many of you, was volitionally brainwashed into the idea that extra iron

for our kids was a bad bad thing. I'm hoping you will help get the word out that

low levels of iron can be equally if not more dangerous, particularly in kids

who've had these duodenal surgeries. (Also kids with Celiac and Crohn's).

Sherry, mom to 21 DS-Autism and no longer anemic (for now)

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