Research Studies Underway for Kids with Low Iron

Low iron is a fairly common childhood condition that can affect children of all ages. Researchers are working to gain more insight into what causes low iron in kids, how to prevent it and how to treat it. 

As we look to understand more about this condition, research studies are underway for kids with low iron. 

Why is Iron Important for Children? 

Iron is an essential nutrient for everyone, kids and adults alike, but it is especiallly essential in your child’s growth and development. Iron is needed to move oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body as well as helps muscles use and store oxygen. 

If you child is lacking iron in their diet, he or she may develop a condition called iron deficiency. This condition can present at many levels ranging from depleted iron stores to anemia. 

Anemia is a condition in which the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells. In these cases, iron deficiency can affect a child’s growth and development if left untreated. 

What Are the Risk Factors? 

There are a range of risk factors for low iron, some of which are still unknown hence the research studies seeking a deeper understanding of why kids develop low iron. 

Some of the known risk factors include: 

-Babies who are born 3 or more weeks before their due date or have extremely low birth weight

-Babies who are given cow’s milk before their first birthday

-Babies who are breastfed and not given supplemented foods after they are 6 months old

-Babies who drink formula that is not fortified with additional iron

-Children who drink more than 24 ounces of cow’s milk each day

-Children who have been exposed to lead

-Children with chronic health conditions

While a lot is known about the common risk factors that put children in danger of low iron, there is still much to be discovered. One of the aims of the research studies for kids with low iron is to determine what additional risk factors exist, if any. 

What Are the Symptoms of Iron Deficiency? 

Iron deficiency symptoms can manifest differently in different children. Too little iron can affect your child’s ability to function.

However, most low iron symptoms don’t appear until iron deficiency anemia sets in. Signs and symptoms include: 

-Tiredness 

-Pale skin or complexion

-Decreased appetite

-Rapid breathing and heartbeat

-Behavioral changes

-Slow growth and development

-Frequent infections 

In rare cases of extreme anemia, children can develop unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances such as dirt, ice or paint. This condition is known as pica and is extremely rare. 

It is important to understand the low iron in children can be prevented. In order to keep your child’s growth and development on track, it is vital that you offer iron rich foods to your child every day. 

Your child’s pediatrician should test your child periodically for low iron and hemoglobin in their blood. With research studies underway for kids with low iron, we should soon learn more about the condition and how to treat and prevent it. 

source https://miamiclinicalresearch.com/blog/research-studies-underway-for-kids-with-low-iron/

How to tell if your child suffers from low iron

Children and adults alike need iron in order to stay strong and healthy.

Iron helps red blood cells to carry oxygen to the body. It also plays a vital role in both brain and muscle function. Low iron, or a lack of iron, in the blood can lead to iron-deficiency anemia which is a common nutritional condition in young children. 

Do you suspect that you child may have an iron deficiency? This article details what iron deficiency is and how to tell if your child suffers from low iron. 

What is Low Iron? 

All the red blood cells in the body contain iron in their hemoglobin, the protein that carries our oxygen to our body’s tissues from the lungs. 

Iron is what gives hemoglobin its strength to bind to oxygen in the blood, ensuring the oxygen gets to where it needs to go. 

Children who have low iron or are iron deficient aren’t getting enough iron in their diets. What this means is that the body cannot make hemoglobin, causing it to make fewer red blood cells.

This causes the condition known as anemia. When a child suffers from anemia, less oxygen can reach the cells and tissues and it affects how the child’s body works. 

Iron plays a vital role in muscle function, brain development and energy creation. A child with low iron may have learning and behavior problems. 

Causes 

In general, infants in developed countries don’t tend to have issues with low iron. During the infant stage, babies get the iron they need from breastmilk or formula that is fortified with iron. 

We start to see low iron problems as children move into toddlerhood. Children who drink too much cow’s milk or don’t eat enough iron rich foods such as red meat and leafy vegetables are at risk for anemia. 

Cow’s milk is not a good source of iron, to the contrary, it actually makes it harder for the body to absorb iron. Children who eat a vegetarian diet are also at risk for low iron because they are lacking the strong iron source that red meat provides. 

As children become teenagers, there are new causes of low iron. For boys, they may suffer anemia due to the rapid growth that happens during puberty. 

For girls, their bodies can’t store as much iron and they lose blood during menstruation. 

Symptoms 

The following are common symptoms of anemia that can help you determine if your child suffers from low iron: 

-Weakness or tiredness

-Pale skin, particularly around the hands, eyelids and nails

-Reduced appetite

-Rapid heartbeat

-Dizziness or lightheadedness

-Change in attitude or irritability

Its important to understand that iron deficiency happens over time. At first, the amount of iron in the body decreases and the child begins to have an iron deficiency where their muscle and brain functions can be affected. 

In time, as the iron in the body is used up, the child’s body starts to make fewer red blood cells and they become anemic. 

Your child’s doctor should test their iron and hemoglobin periodically to ensure that their levels are appropriate. In the meantime, these tips should help you determine how to tell if your child suffers from low iron. 

If your child suffers from low iron and you would like to participate in a paid clinical study, contact Miami Clinical Research now!

source https://miamiclinicalresearch.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-your-child-suffers-from-low-iron/

How you can tell if you suffer from RVVC

RVVC is frequently ignored in the medical community. Its symptoms are relatively common and can be very frustrating for both patients and physicians. 

You may be experiencing symptoms and not know what they are related to. Establishing a proper diagnosis will allow your doctor to lay out a functional therapeutic plan to getting better. 

This article will detail how to tell if you suffer from RVVC and what you can do about it. 

What is RVVC? 

Vulvovaginal candidiasis, or VVC, is a symptomatic inflammation of the vagina and/or vulva. This inflammation is commonly caused by a fungal infection, most commonly candida albicans. 

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, or RVVC, is described as a woman having four or more episodes within a given year, with at least partial symptom resolution in between episodes. 

It is estimated that around five percent of women of reproductive age with a primary episode of VVC will develop RVVC. More than 50 percent of women age 25 and older will experience an episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis in their life. 

Diagnosis RVVC

Women who experience persistent or recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis will often present to their physician with intense vaginal discomfort as their main complaint. 

Other symptoms of RVVC include; pruritus, odorless vaginal discharge, dyspareunia or dysuria. By the time most women get around to making an appointment with their family physician, they have already tried every over the counter cream and treatment available and are frustrated with their lack of results. 

More often than not, a woman can call her doctor and receive an initial diagnosis over the phone and be prescribed treatment. However, in the case of RVVC, clinical evaluation is essential. 

Women often self-diagnose themselves with yeast infections which puts them at risk for missing other concurrent infections that may be happening at once. There are often two or more organisms that require different treatments. 

When a physician performs a physical examination on a women complaining of vaginal discomfort, a patient who suffers from vulvovaginal candidiasis will typically have vulvar erythema as well as a thick, white to yellowish discharge. 

Causes of RVVC

Candida albicans is the most common pathogen that is identified in patients with RVVC. There are other possible pathogens including candida tropicalis and candida glabrata. 

Many recurrent infections are believed to be caused by the resistance of non-C albicans species to antifungal agents. Essentially, the antifungal treatments that are being prescribed to treat this condition are sometimes ineffective due to the pathogen’s resistance to it. 

Another cause of RVVC is failure to follow treatment plans to completion. Many times, women will take just enough of their antifungal therapy treatment to see symptoms diminish and then not finish the course of treatment. 

This is dangerous because if the entire prescribed treatment course is not followed, there is a high likelihood of the infection recurring. 

Another cause of RVVC is improper or inadequate treatment. Many women are prescribed medication that does not treat their specific strain of infection which causes the infection to reoccur. 

Talk to your doctor if you are displaying symptoms of RVVC so they can help you discover a treatment plan that works. 

 

If you are interested in participating in research studies aimed at finding a cure for RVVC, visit Miami Clinical Research at https://miamiclinicalresearch.com

source https://miamiclinicalresearch.com/blog/how-you-can-tell-if-you-suffer-from-rvvc/

Paid Clinical Studies for RVVC in Miami

RVVC is a common issue that many women deal with discreetly. There is much to be discovered about RVVC, including how to properly treat and cure it. 

For most physicians, the proper treatment of RVVC remains a challenge. This condition accounts for more than 10 million OBGYN and family physician visits annually and it is one of the leading reasons for patients to visit their OBGYN. 

As we look to gain more insight into RVVC, clinical studies for RVVC in Miami have commenced. 

What is RVVC? 

RVVC is recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. This condition presents as severe discomfort in the vagina. 

More than 50% of women age 25 and older have a least one case of VVC (vulvovaginal candidiasis), however, only about 5% of those women will experience recurrent episodes (RVVC). 

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is defined as a woman having four or more episodes of VVC in one year. 

RVVC is believed to be caused by a fungal infection. In fact, over the counter antifungal therapies rank in the top 10 best selling over the counter products in the United States with an estimated $250 million in annual sales. 

Millions of women suffer from vaginitis each year and many of them suffer from chronic or recurring infections. 

Over the past couple of decades, there have been centers established that are dedicated to evaluating and treating women with RVVC. In conjunction with these centers, there are many clinical studies being performed to determine new approaches to this highly common problem. 

Diagnosis

Unfortunately, women who suffer from vaginal discomfort often don’t want to talk about. Instead, they choose to discreetly self-medicate using over the counter antifungal creams. 

The problem with self-diagnosing and self-medicating is that the treatment is often not the answer to RVVC. In fact, sometimes over the counter treatments can actually perpetuate the infection and make symptoms worse. 

Research has shown that there is no one cause of RVVC, there are a variety of infecting organisms that can cause the infection. Therefore, treatment of the infection will need to be tailored to the strand of organism that is causing the infection. 

Patients who present with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis are strongly encouraged to seek professional medical help in order to properly diagnosis their condition and find an effective treatment plan. 

For best clinical results, women should seek help from a medical professional for their discomfort before they try any over the counter medications. Lab tests will yield the most accurate results if no other medication is being used at the time of testing. 

Physicians should be taking a thorough history of the patient before determining the best treatment including; color and quantity of the discharge as well as the severity of the itching, burning and irritation. 

There is much to be discovered about RVVC, its causes and the best treatment methods. Researchers hope that the paid clinical studies for RVVC in Miami will help them reveal some of the answers to their questions about this condition. 

 

For more info visit:

Miami Clinical Research

https://miamiclinicalresearch.com

 

source https://miamiclinicalresearch.com/blog/paid-clinical-studies-for-rvvc-in-miami/