If you don’t grow well, don’t like to eat, and often get sick, these conditions may be related to zinc deficiency!

Doctor, my baby's hair is a bit yellow, is it zinc deficiency?

Doctor, is there a white spot on the baby’s nails, is it zinc deficiency?

Doctor, my baby has a bad appetite, is it zinc deficiency?

The answers you want to know are in the answers below

These situations do not necessarily mean zinc deficiency

1. Yellow and less hair ≠ zinc deficiency

Hair color and volume are mainly determined by genetic factors and growth and development speed. As long as a balanced nutrient intake is ensured, it will generally improve gradually after 1 year of age.

2. White spots on nails ≠ zinc deficiency

The small white spots on the nails are mostly caused by damage to the root of the nail. For example, the nail is caught or smashed. Sometimes eating hands and cutting nails may also cause minor damage. Usually the nail matrix with white spots is replaced by new nails, and the white spots disappear.

3. Don't like to eat ≠ zinc deficiency

Zinc deficiency may lead to poor appetite, but poor appetite does not mean zinc deficiency. The baby's temperament and mood, weather, types of food, food smell, food cooking methods, bad eating habits, disease state, etc. may all affect the enthusiasm of the baby to eat.

Which babies are prone to zinc deficiency

Infants after 6 months of birth, premature babies and babies younger than gestational age, babies with plant-based foods, babies with chronic diarrhea, babies with repeated respiratory infections, babies with long-term calcium and iron intake are prone to zinc deficiency . In addition, certain diseases and drugs can easily lead to zinc deficiency.

So, what will happen to babies with zinc deficiency?

1. Decreased sensory acuity

    Decreased taste, anorexia, picky eaters, pica, decreased vision, night blindness, olfactory disorders

2. Decreased resistance

    Repeated respiratory infections and diarrhea

3. Growth retardation, delayed puberty sexual maturity, reduced sperm formation

4. Changes in behavior and mood

    Low mood, slow reaction, inattention, poor memory

5. Abnormal skin and mucous membranes and hair

    Reduced skin healing ability, oral, extremity, perianal dermatitis, finger barbs, paronychia, nail leukoplakia, map tongue, blepharoconjunctivitis, hair loss, etc.

The symptoms of zinc deficiency are not specific and are related to the degree of deficiency and age. Therefore, it is difficult to judge whether a baby has zinc deficiency only through clinical symptoms. Well. What should I do if I suspect that my baby is zinc deficient?

Of course, take the baby to find a professional doctor for diagnosis!

How to know whether the baby has zinc deficiency

Plasma/serum zinc is a clinically commonly used laboratory indicator to reflect the nutritional status of human zinc. Currently, the lower limit of plasma/serum zinc for children under 10 years of age is set at 65 μg/dL.

Trace amounts of whole blood zinc can also be used as a method for detecting zinc content.

The total amount of zinc in urine and the concentration of zinc in hair in 24 hours can also reflect the nutritional status of zinc in the human body, but individual differences are large and there is no clear normal range, so it is generally not recommended as a diagnostic indicator of zinc deficiency.

Prevention of zinc deficiency

To prevent zinc deficiency, we must first adhere to a balanced diet, a reasonable combination of animal foods and plant foods, avoid partial eclipse, eat some red meat (beef, lean pork, liver, etc.) rich in zinc, and some seafood (such as oysters) Not suitable for large amounts of consumption), fish, poultry, etc.

Properly supplement the daily supply of zinc for babies who are susceptible to zinc deficiency, such as premature babies/low birth weight babies, babies with chronic diarrhea and malabsorption syndromes, and babies who use parenteral nutrition for a long time.

Risk of excessive zinc supplementation

When the daily dietary zinc is sufficient, there is a possibility that zinc intake exceeds the highest tolerable dose when zinc supplementation is added.

High doses of zinc can produce acute toxicity and may have adverse effects on the immune system, iron, copper and cholesterol status, and can cause nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea and headache, anemia, neuropathy and abnormal lipid metabolism.

Focus on it!

Leave professional matters to professional people. If your baby belongs to people who are prone to zinc deficiency and/or has symptoms of zinc deficiency, Dr. Elephant recommends that you take your baby to the hospital and ask the doctor for professional diagnosis and treatment.