It is essential to maintain adequate platelet levels to ensure that blood clotting in the body is running properly. So, how to increase platelets in children when your little one has a deficiency?
Usually, a doctor will diagnose thrombocytopenia if your little one has a low platelet count.Parents It will be advisable to increase platelet levels through improved nutrition and taking supplements.
This article explains what thrombocytopenia is, including its symptoms and causes, along with how to increase platelets in children and the foods and supplements that can help increase them.
How to Increase Platelets in Children
There are several tips for increasing platelets in children, either with food, supplements, or paying attention to menus that should be avoided.
How to Increase Platelets in Children with Dietary Regulation
Foods high in certain vitamins and minerals can help your body make and maintain platelets in your blood.
While many of these nutrients are available in supplement form, it’s best to try to get them from food when you can. Here are some of them, as quoted from Healthline.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 helps keep your blood cells healthy. Healthline notes that B-12 deficiency has been linked to low platelet counts.
The best sources of vitamin B-12 tend to come from animal foods, such as:
While vitamin B-12 is also found in dairy products, such as milk and cheese, some studies suggest that cow’s milk may interfere with platelet production .
Folate
Folate is a B vitamin that helps your cell metabolism, including blood cells.
Folate occurs naturally in many foods, and is added to others in the form of folic acid . Natural sources of folate include:
- nuts
- black eyed peas
- red beans
- orange
- Orange juice
Foods Rich in Iron
Iron is essential to your body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.
A 2012 study also found that it increased platelet counts in participants with iron deficiency anemia.
You can find high levels of iron in certain foods, including:
- shell
- Pumpkin seeds
- nuts
- beef
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps absorb iron, which can also help increase platelet count. Good sources of vitamin C include:
- mango
- pineapple
- Broccoli
- green or red peppers
- tomato
- cauliflower
Foods That Reduce Platelet Count
What is neededParentsPay attention when trying to increase platelets, avoid the list of foods that will decrease platelets.
Types of food and drink that can reduce platelet count include:
- Cranberry juice
- cow’s milk
- quinine
How to Increase Platelets in Children with Supplements
Supplements that can increase the number of platelets include the following.
Papaya leaf extract
A 2013 study found that papaya leaf extract significantly increased platelet counts in animals.
While more research is needed to test its effects in humans, it shouldn’t cause problems as long as you don’t take more than the recommended dose.
You can find papaya leaf extract in pill form at many health food stores. For Dengue Fever patients , another study reported that papaya leaf juice was associated with an accelerated rate of increase in platelet counts.
Cow colostrum
Colostrum is the first substance a calf receives from its mother. It is also a common food supplement.
While there isn’t much research on its benefits, an informal study suggests that some people report beneficial effects on their platelet counts after taking it.
A 2017 study identified elements of colostrum that contain proteins involved in platelet activation as well as immune responses.
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment that allows plants to absorb light from the sun.
Some people with thrombocytopenia report that taking chlorophyll supplements helps relieve symptoms, such as fatigue. However, there are no clinical studies evaluating its effectiveness.
Melatonin
Your body naturally produces melatonin, but you can also find it in liquid, tablet, or lotion form at many health food stores.
Although often used to improve sleep quality, melatonin has also been found to increase platelet levels.
However, studies establishing this benefit are very small, so more research is needed to fully understand its effect on platelet counts.
Symptoms of Low Platelets
Platelets are essential for blood clotting, so someone with thrombocytopenia will be more prone to bleeding. According to the NHLBI, most symptoms of thrombocytopenia are related to bleeding.
Symptoms of thrombocytopenia usually only occur when a person’s platelet levels are very low and include:
- persistent bleeding even after minor injuries
- nosebleed
- bleeding gums
- blood in urine
- blood in the stool, which may appear bright red, dark, or tarry
- heavy menstrual bleeding
- easy to bruise
- petechiae, which are small, flat, red or brown spots under the skin due to leaking blood vessels
- purpura, which are red, purple, or brownish-yellow patches of skin due to bleeding under the skin
- People who experience symptoms should contact a doctor immediately. Without treatment, thrombocytopenia can lead to serious complications.
Mild thrombocytopenia often does not cause any symptoms. In these cases, a person may only find out they have the condition after having a routine blood test.
Causes of Decreased Platelets
Thrombocytopenia means you have less than 150,000 platelets per microliter of circulating blood.
Because each platelet lives for only about 10 days, your body normally renews your platelet supply continuously by producing new platelets in your bone marrow.
Thrombocytopenia is rarely inherited. Causes of low platelets may be due to platelet trapping in the spleen, decreased platelet production or increased platelet destruction.
Here are the details, as quoted from the Mayo Clinic page.
Trapped Platelets
The spleen is a small organ about the size of your fist located just below your ribs on the left side of your abdomen.
Normally, your spleen works to fight infections and filter unwanted materials from your blood.
An enlarged spleen, which can be caused by a number of disorders, can hold too many platelets, which reduces the number of circulating platelets.
Decreased Platelet Production
Platelets are produced in your bone marrow. Factors that can decrease platelet production include:
- Leukemia and other cancers
- Some types of anemia
- Viral infections, such as hepatitis C or HIV
- Chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Increased platelet breakdown
Pregnancy
Some conditions can cause your body to destroy platelets faster than they are produced, leading to a shortage of platelets in your bloodstream. Examples of such conditions include when you are pregnant.
Thrombocytopenia caused by pregnancy is usually mild and improves soon after delivery.
Immune Thrombocytopenia
Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, cause low platelets. The immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets.
If the exact cause of this condition is unknown, it is called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. This type is more common in children.
Bacteria in Blood
Severe bacterial infections involving the blood (bacteremia) can destroy platelets.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
This is a rare condition that occurs when small blood clots suddenly form throughout your body, using up a large number of platelets.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
This rare disorder causes a sharp decrease in platelets, destruction of red blood cells and impaired kidney function.
Drugs
Certain medications can reduce the number of platelets in your blood. Sometimes medications confuse the immune system and cause it to destroy platelets.
Examples include heparin, quinine, sulfa-containing antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
