Children try iron-rich diet to prevent anemia<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For Sri, a third grader at public elementary school 2 on Kelapa
\nisland in the Thousand Islands, nothing compares to eating
\nfreshly caught fried fish cooked by her mother.<\/p>\n
\"I like pomfret fish best,\" she said while watching her
\nfriends going one by one to the front of the classroom to get
\ntheir blood checked.<\/p>\n
Her school was one of six elementary schools on Panggang,
\nPramuka, Harapan and Kelapa Islands where children were checked
\nfor anemia by the Kusuma Bangsa Foundation last week.<\/p>\n
Little did Sri know that her favorite food plays a big role in
\npreventing anemia, a condition where a person has a below-normal
\nhemoglobin count.<\/p>\n
The survey by the non-governmental group, involving 1,717
\nelementary school students from grades one to six, found that
\n19.29 (eds: figures are checked) percent of the children had
\nhemoglobin counts that were considered below normal.<\/p>\n
The survey reaffirmed earlier findings that anemia is
\nprevalent among children between the ages of six and 12. Similar
\nsurveys held by the foundation in 2000, 2001 and 2002 among
\nelementary school students in Jakarta found that 35.1 percent,
\n49.5 percent and 34.1 percent of the students had anemia.<\/p>\n
\"It is disturbing that children that age already have this
\ndisease,\" said Adi Sasongko, chairman of Kusuma Bangsa.<\/p>\n
Anemia reflects a lack of iron, a vital substance in the
\nproduction of hemoglobin, in the diet. Hemoglobin transports
\noxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.<\/p>\n
\"In junior high school, as girls start having their periods,
\nmore of them will have anemia,\" said Sasongko.<\/p>\n
Because many girls face body image problems in high school,
\ntheir hemoglobin counts may decline even further as they eat
\nunhealthy diets in an attempt to lose weight.<\/p>\n
Children with anemia have difficulty concentrating and
\nshorter attention spans because the brain gets less oxygen than
\nneeded. They are also likely to get tired more easily than their
\npeers.<\/p>\n
Like previous programs, the survey in the Thousand Islands
\nwill be followed by a seminar to announce the findings to the
\nlocal administration and teachers. There will also be a series of
\nmeetings with parents to advise them about what measures they
\nshould take to protect their children from anemia.<\/p>\n
Experts will talk to the parents about the causes and effects
\nof anemia and ask them to include iron-rich foods in their
\nchildren's diets, such as liver and green, leafy vegetables.<\/p>\n
Children need to absorb an average of 1 mg per day of iron to
\nkeep up with the needs of their growing bodies. Since children
\nonly absorb 10 percent of the iron they eat, foods high in
\nprotein or vitamin C, such as fish, oranges and peas, can help
\nprevent anemia because those substances help the body absorb
\niron.<\/p>\n
As a short-term solution, the foundation will also arrange a
\n12-week program for the students. They will receive two tablets
\nof iron supplements twice a week.<\/p>\n
\"This step is intended to raise their hemoglobin count to a
\nnormal level,\" said the foundation's project officer, Mundi
\nMahaswiati.<\/p>\n
A weekly lunch party will also be introduced. \"Parents cooked
\nthe dishes, which have to include iron-rich food, and the
\nstudents will eat together in class.\"<\/p>\n
\"Kids who do not like vegetables can be encouraged by seeing
\ntheir friends eating vegetables,\" said Mahaswiati.<\/p>\n
This program has been introduced at several schools in Jakarta
\nwith satisfying results. In 2001, the program was held at 13
\nelementary schools in Jakarta with 3,160 participants, and was
\nable to bring down the number of students with anemia from 49.5
\npercent to 12.3 percent over the course of the 12 weeks.<\/p>\n
Because the parents come away with more knowledge of the
\nimportance of iron, they are expected to continue providing iron-
\nrich foods to their children after the 12-week program is over.<\/p>\n
Sasongko also urged the government to implement similar
\nprograms at elementary schools throughout Indonesia. School
\nprograms to overcome anemia are more likely to succeed because
\nstudents \"fear\" their teachers, \"sometimes even more than their
\nparents\", he said.<\/p>\n
Another advantage is that the students take the tablets
\ntogether at school, under the supervision of teachers. \"So we
\nknow for sure that they are taking the supplement regularly.\"<\/p>\n
The government is currently focusing on preventing anemia in
\npregnant women. But bear in mind, stopping anemia must be done as
\nearly as possible, because anemic girls are more likely to become
\nanemic women and mothers, who in turn will pass down the disease
\nto their children.<\/p>\n
\"This vicious cycle needs to be stopped,\" said Sasongko.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/children-try-iron-rich-diet-to-prevent-anemia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }