A 5-year-old girl is diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia and is to receive iron supplements. The child has difficulty swallowing tablets, so a liquid formulation is prescribed. After teaching the parents about administering the iron supplement, which statement by the parents indicates the need for additional teaching?

If the parents express their concern about the girl's color of the stool or minor diarrhea or constipation episodes, this is a signal that they need additional teaching and learning about iron daily administration and dosage. Those symptoms are temporary and they usually disappear as the girl's body adjust to medication.