New born screening has helped doctors diagnose certain hereditary conditions in infants as early as the baby a few weeks, and one of the conditions that they can detect the G6PD deficiency. While other fatal conditions, G6PD deficiency is easily managed, although there will be some nutritional considerations to take.
G6PD, or glucose phosphate dehydrogenase, an enzyme needed to convert the substance in the body becomes reduced form, which makes red blood cells us from getting damaged. Thus, a child that G6PD deficiency does not have the capacity to transform a given substance into a form that does not cause risk of damage to red blood cells. This means that a child with G6PD deficiency can have anemia as a result of destroying red blood cells. This condition is a rare hereditary disease that can affect people in different degrees from person to person.
If the results of screening newborn babies you show him to have G6PD deficiency, there are several ways that you can care for him to consider these conditions:
1. You can help improve the durability to infection by having a routine immunization.
2. certain antibiotics should be avoided, such as nalidixic acid, chloramphenicol, nitrofurantoin, or those of the sulfa group, such as cotrimoxazole. Anti-malarial drugs such as primaquine, an anti-leprosy drug dapsone, and pain relievers such as high-dose aspirin should also be avoided.
3. Nuts and seeds, including soy-based products, is generally not recommended for children with G6PD, because it can cause anemia. Consult your doctor for advice, but usually he would recommend you to not introduce these foods at an early age. When children are older, she may advise you to try to introduce them gradually.
4. natural foods are preferred, especially for children with G6PD. Your child's doctor will usually give you a list of foods that should be avoided, such as nuts and seeds, but other than that, most natural food should be safe. Try to avoid processed foods as much as possible, because they usually use soy additives and beans, or bean paste as a thickener. Fortunately groceries now offer a wider selection of fresh food, and you can also get your vote in the local organic market. natural fruit juice, fresh milk, and cheese, not processed cheese food, good additions.
5. processed foods that you should be wary about offering children positive G6PD including artificial butter flavor, canned meat, crackers, low-fat cheese or cheese substitute, such as Worcestershire sauce or sweet and sour sauce, margarine, candy, or baked goods. If so, make sure to offer food items in small doses at first to check for any allergic response.
6. Chinese food and other similar Oriental foods should also be taken with how vigilant, because they are usually cooked with soy-based sauce or bean paste. Korean food is very much filled with bean paste as well. Of course, the intensity level of G6PD-deficient children are different from person to person, so still best to check your child's ability to swallow them.
7. When your child constantly refuses food, unprocessed natural that you offer, do not despair. Instead, try to introduce foods one by one, so you know which to repair should he reject them. For the food is rejected, you can re-introduce them with a sense of varied and perhaps a new presentation. Maybe you can puree the meat and vegetables and forming them into a ball, or meatball to make them more attractive. Although the kinds of challenges may also be faced by mothers who do not G6PD-positive baby, is more important to you because you can not just resort to processed foods at the first sign of trouble.
In any case, your pediatrician can provide recommendations on how to improve your child's fight against its anemia with deficiency of this enzyme.
