Hematogen during pregnancy: just a sweet or a medical drug?

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During pregnancy, in addition to additional stress, a woman often has to experience a deficiency of certain vitamins or microelements, for example, iron, which causes anemia.

In this case, many begin to use hematogen. To understand whether it will bring enough benefit to the body, and whether it will harm the health of the woman and the fetus, you need to know about the rules for taking it and the existing restrictions.

What is hematogen. Its composition. How it works

Hematogen refers to medications containing large quantities of iron, a microelement associated with proteins. During the digestion process, it easily dissolves in the stomach and is absorbed by the woman’s body without much difficulty. Its action is to stimulate the formation of red blood cells in blood cells.

Hematogen is prepared from the blood of cattle and pigs. The resulting plasma or serum (albumin), previously purified, is dried to eliminate the possibility of infection. This technology allows you to maintain the connection of iron with protein, which is familiar to the human stomach and allows you to absorb this microelement quickly and actively.

Honey, ascorbic acid, condensed milk, and sometimes vitamins or other additives that help improve taste are also added to the hematogen composition. The energy value of 100 g of bar is 343 kcal.

Contraindications for taking hematogen

Main contraindications:

1. Diabetes mellitus of all types.
2. Obesity exceeding the norm of 20 kg.
3. Children under three years of age.
4. Phlebeurysm.
5. Thrombophlebitis.
6. Anemia that is not a consequence of iron deficiency.
7. Individual intolerance to the components of this drug, allergy.
8. Kidney and liver failure.

Like all medications, Hematogen can cause adverse reactions. In most cases, they are associated with poor condition of the stomach and intestines.

Hematogen can cause the following side effects:

• Irritation of the gastric mucosa.
• Activation of the vagus nerve. Quite unpleasant feelings in the stomach may occur, nausea and vomiting may occur.
• Allergies in the form of skin rashes and dermatitis. In rare cases, large consumption of hematogen can lead to sudden Quincke's edema.

Dosage

Before starting to take Hematogen, a pregnant woman should consult with her supervising physician to prescribe the correct dosage in order to prevent the occurrence of side effects. Uncontrolled consumption is strictly prohibited, despite the woman’s strong desire to eat it, because... First of all, it is a medicine.

To noticeably increase the level of iron in the blood, it is enough to eat no more than two pieces three times a day. The total duration of the course should not exceed 2-3 weeks. Then a short break is needed.

During the period of taking Hematogen it is important to ensure that vitamin A does not enter the body along with taking other medications or products. The use of hematogen requires correction of the diet and the complex of vitamins taken.

In cases where there is no iron deficiency in the blood, hematogen is not recommended as a sweet substitute. Although complete abandonment of it is not necessary, due to its overall usefulness for the body of both the mother and the fetus.

The benefits of sweet bars for the body of the expectant mother

The main purpose of hematogen, consisting of animal blood, is the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia. During pregnancy, when the baby grows and develops, the mother’s body becomes, as it were, a donor, and everything the baby needs is taken from it. Therefore, it is generally accepted that a mother needs to eat for two - so that there is enough for both.

But this does not always depend only on the nutrition of a pregnant woman (learn about how to eat properly and not harm your baby in the book Secrets of Proper Nutrition for an Expectant Mother >>>), there are many concomitant diseases that interfere with the proper absorption of one or another essential substance or vitamin.

So, gradually, the baby, experiencing a constant lack of iron, ceases to receive a sufficient amount of oxygen. This disorder is called fetal hypoxia. To help the mother cope with anemia, especially in its first minor stages, hematogen is often prescribed during pregnancy

Important!

The dosage and duration of taking the drug should be recommended by the attending physician, based on the condition, age of the woman and stage of pregnancy.

So, let’s summarize what is good about hematogen:

1. Contains iron in an easily and quickly digestible form for humans;
2. Increases the body's production of red blood cells;
3. Accelerates iron absorption;
4. Contains essential amino acids and a large amount of mineral elements and vitamins;
5. Stabilizes metabolism in the body of a pregnant woman and replenishes protein deficiency.

This hematogen contains vitamins A, B, and is a good supplier of them. An excellent sweet, inexpensive helper for maintaining the body, the main thing is not to overdo it and get regular doctor’s recommendations.

Contraindications and precautions during pregnancy. How can it be dangerous?

Taking Hematogen is contraindicated if you have a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, as well as if you are overweight due to the easily digestible carbohydrates it contains, which often cause fermentation processes in the intestines.

Hematogen can be dangerous for the body of a pregnant woman in that, by promoting blood thickening, it sometimes leads to the appearance of blood clots in the vessels located in the placenta, which will worsen the nutrition of the fetus.

Due to the oversaturation of hematogen with B vitamins, there is a danger of allergic reactions of the expectant mother and developing child.
Allergies can also occur due to general changes in a woman’s hormonal levels during this period, and due to existing hypersensitivity to this drug.

Is it possible to use hematogen during pregnancy?

Hematogen is familiar to most of us from childhood, and many still have the habit of snacking on this mini-chocolate.
But do not forget that this sweetness is nothing more than a preventive drug, therefore, it should be consumed only as prescribed by a doctor. This is especially true for expectant mothers, because they are responsible for two lives at once: their own and the baby’s. Hematogen is prescribed to expectant mothers very rarely. Elevated hemoglobin can have a bad effect on the course of pregnancy, as it thickens the blood and increases the risk of thrombosis. If the expectant mother has a serious iron deficiency, then taking hematogen may be quite justified. Lack of iron in the body can eventually lead to hypoxia, which can cause fetal malformations.

If before pregnancy you were addicted to hematogen and could eat a bar in one sitting, then during pregnancy you should forget about such addictions. In addition to the fact that you risk greatly increasing your hemoglobin level, you can also gain excess weight, because it contains condensed milk. You should not consume more than one or two tablets per day. This will be quite enough. There are a number of contraindications to the use of this prophylactic drug. First of all, these are diabetes mellitus and a tendency to it (hereditary tendency), individual sensitivity or intolerance, and even a tendency to be overweight. If during pregnancy a woman begins to rapidly gain weight, it is better to stop taking hematogen. If your doctor prescribed hematogen for you during pregnancy, strictly follow the dosage and do not overdo it. It is better to overcome your desires one day than to deal with the consequences for a long time. Approach issues of treatment and nutrition wisely, especially if you are the bearer of new life!

For the expectant mother, pregnancy prepares many surprises, and it happens that not all of them are pleasant. At this time, the female body undergoes serious changes, for which it is often not at all ready. The most important fluid in the body, blood, is almost always in danger of losing its standard formula. Often such losses lead to a decrease in hemoglobin, so-called anemia.

I remember that in my distant childhood, everyone feasted on sweet substitutes for sweets from the pharmacy, which were called hematogen. It was considered harmless and tasty, and, moreover, even healthy. If we take into account the desire of pregnant women to reduce their medication intake to a minimum and replace them with suitable products or dietary supplements, the question arises: “Is it possible to take Hematogen during pregnancy and what is it anyway?”

Side effects

In some cases, when taking hematogen, adverse reactions may occur. This can happen immediately or a couple of hours after taking it. If you notice at least one of the following signs, you should seek medical help as soon as possible:

• allergic skin reaction;
• hives;
• labored breathing;

• swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue;
• presence of bright red blood in the stool;
• soreness in the chest or throat when swallowing.

less serious side symptoms may appear also require attention, these are:

• constipation;
• diarrhea;
• stomach ache;
• nausea, vomiting, heartburn;

• black or dark-colored stools;
• slight staining of teeth;
• Strong headache;
• unusual and unpleasant taste in the mouth.

Contraindications for use

Answering the question posed earlier, is it possible to take hematogen during pregnancy, we summarize: taking the sweet medicine does not cause any particular concern. There are only two factors to consider when taking this remedy:

1. The first is individual intolerance to the drug, caused by allergic manifestations to its constituent components;
2. The second is a possible overdose with excessive use of hematogen.

The period of waiting for a baby for any mother is an exciting and unpredictable time, during which no one can ever predict how the body of her or her future child will behave. Therefore, it is necessary to devote enough time to pleasant cares for your body so that the baby is born healthy and has a healthy, beautiful, joyful mother.

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Video

You can find out how to choose the right type of hematogen in a pharmacy and how they may differ from each other by watching the video. This video talks about how products that are sold in modern pharmacies under the name hematogen may differ.

In fact, many of them have significant differences in composition, and in some cases will not benefit the health of a pregnant woman more than regular candy. The beneficial properties of this product are determined by the amount of albumin it contains. The norms for its content are determined by GOST, this is 2.5 g.

Even if the content of this substance is lower, the manufacturer has the right to produce a bar called hematogen. When purchasing hematogen in a pharmacy for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, you need to make sure that its packaging is marked with compliance with the state standard, whereas in other cases it will not be present.

How is it useful for a pregnant woman? Should I take it if I have low hemoglobin?

During pregnancy, the deficiency of iron and other useful substances is most noticeable, because the “biochemical laboratory” in a woman’s body works twice as hard. All substances in hematogen have high nutritional and energy potential.

Hematogen, purchased at a pharmacy, acts as follows:

• promotes hematopoiesis (the process of hematopoiesis), that is, it improves the maturation and development of new blood cells;
• can serve as an assistant to prevent deficiency conditions associated with a decrease in hemoglobin. When the level of hemoglobin in the blood increases, the risk of oxygen starvation of the fetus decreases;
• promotes the absorption of iron in the intestine, increases the content of ferritin in the blood plasma (the main participant in iron metabolism), and also improves the morphological characteristics of red blood cells.

The practical benefits for a pregnant woman from using hematogen do not look so plausible. Official medicine does not use it for therapy for anemic conditions, and if a biochemical blood test shows an iron deficiency in a pregnant woman, then she should reconsider her diet, supplementing it with beef, fish and spinach.

Why you can’t eat hematogen: possible harm to the fetus

Hematogen is useful for a woman during pregnancy. But is it safe for the fetus? This also has its pitfalls.

Since hematogen contains iron, all those side effects that occur in the event of an overdose of iron preparations are possible.

Under no circumstances should he use hematogen uncontrollably, especially if a woman does not have anemia and a drop in hemoglobin levels has not been diagnosed.

The fact is that in this case, blood thickening occurs, which is fraught with increased thrombus formation. The risk of blood clots forming in the placental vessels increases, and accordingly, malnutrition of the fetus is possible.

The vitamin A content of a product is also not always beneficial. An excess of this vitamin provokes the development of fetal deformities. The high content of B vitamins may cause allergies in some women. This will also create a tendency for the fetus to have allergic reactions.