What symptom would the nurse expect in a 3-year-old with mild iron-deficiency anemia?

In a three-year-old child with mild iron-deficiency anemia, an increased pulse rate is a common physiological response. When there is a deficiency of iron impacting hemoglobin production, the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is reduced. This reduction leads the body to compensate by increasing heart rate to ensure that oxygen is effectively delivered to tissues despite the decreased levels of hemoglobin.

Children, due to their higher metabolic demands and smaller blood volumes, are particularly responsive to changes in oxygen delivery. As a result, an elevated heart rate can be expected when the body is attempting to compensate for reduced oxygen levels. This physiological adaptation helps maintain appropriate perfusion and oxygenation of vital organs and systems.

Other symptoms associated with anemia, such as fatigue, pallor, or irritability, may also be observed in a child but are not as directly measurable as an increased pulse rate. The other options do not typically align with the expected symptoms of mild iron-deficiency anemia in this age group, reinforcing the likelihood of the increased heart rate as a compensatory mechanism.