High Hemoglobin

My 15 month-old daughter who has Tetralogy of Fallot has high hemoglobin, according to her recent blood test.  What can cause increased hemoglobin levels?  Aside from drinking lots of water, are there food that can help lower hemoglobin?  Will it be safer to lower her intake of iron-rich foods such as spinach and brocolli?

[maggiemag]

Cyanotic heart disease like TOF can cause hypoxia (low oxygen levels) which in turn causes the HB to go up.  Aside from correcting her heart defects, you can't really lower the HB by any other means.  It would not be a good idea to give a heart patient too much water or any fluids without a physician order.  Lowering her intake of iron won't help either.  It's just a side effect of her disease.  I'm sure her cardiologist has a treatment plan for your daughter, and will help correct as much as they can.  Good luck.

[mau789]

My son had heart valve surgery at christmas three times he had surgery on his scar twice for his valve and once for abcesses on the wound ,now he has keloids can anyone give any info on whay they are or anything about them. His first scar was looking good but graudually having surgery that amount of times its not looking good the surgeons had to sew in a different place and have massive stiches across with tubing over them because they thought the stiching might dig in as his wound would be enlarged.His scar was just a tiny line from when he had surgery at 6 months for tetralogy of fallot its a shame for him because at 13 going on 14 he is a bit shy of it.