What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency in children and what causes it

Many children suffer from zinc deficiency because they do not like to eat vegetables or have irregular diets. Mothers should know the manifestations and symptoms of zinc deficiency so that they can detect and supplement zinc in time when their children are deficient. Long-term zinc deficiency can cause physical illness, so mothers who are not clear about this should learn quickly.

What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency in children?

1. Picky eating and anorexia

For babies who are zinc deficient, their taste buds will be greatly hindered, as the taste buds rely on zinc to maintain their sense of taste.

2. Skin infection

In daily life, parents should also pay special attention to their children's skin problems. The humid climate in summer is prone to breeding bacteria and viruses. At this time, if the child's skin often has some rashes, parents can check the trace elements for the child in addition to doing corresponding treatment to confirm whether the child is zinc deficient.

3. Pica

When a child is zinc deficient, they will experience changes in their sense of taste and develop pica, such as eating soil, slag, dust, etc. Although a large number of studies have found that this problem is not a direct manifestation of zinc deficiency. However, swallowing a large amount of clay and foreign objects will cause the body to absorb iron, zinc, etc. Once a child is found to have pica, in addition to helping him correct this problem in a timely manner, he should also supplement with relevant trace elements.

4. Poor wound healing

Children are active by nature and are prone to bumps and bruises. Many parents have found that once a child has a minor bump, it is not easy to recover. If this happens, parents should take their children to a regular hospital for relevant examinations to see if the child is zinc deficient.

5. Abnormal bone development

Young children with zinc deficiency have less protein synthesis in their bodies and are significantly shorter than normal children. In severe cases, they may become dwarfs. Therefore, parents must pay great attention to their children's abnormal bone development once they find that they have such abnormalities.

What causes it?

High zinc demand but insufficient intake Infants, children and adolescents grow and develop rapidly and have a high demand for zinc nutrition, but often have an unreasonable diet, resulting in insufficient zinc intake. Mainly plant-based foods, insufficient animal food intake Zinc is mainly found in animal foods. Most Chinese families mainly eat plant-based foods, and oxalic acid, phytic acid, cellulose and other substances in plant foods seriously interfere with zinc absorption. Frequent consumption of finely processed foods leads to excessive zinc loss and poor absorption. Zinc is absorbed in the small intestine after ingestion. Infants and young children are most susceptible to diarrhea. Diarrhea causes reduced zinc absorption in the intestine, so children with frequent diarrhea are prone to zinc deficiency. Children who have undergone small bowel resection due to intussusception are more likely to be zinc deficient. Cereals in food contain phytates and more cellulose that hinder zinc absorption. Children who are fed with cow's milk are less zinc deficient than those who are fed with breast milk because the zinc in cow's milk is not as easily absorbed as breast milk. Children who are zinc deficient can eat food to supplement it. In daily life, foods containing zinc include oysters, squid, eggs, lean meat, etc.

What should I do if my child is zinc deficient?

According to the doctor's advice, you can take a combination of food and medicine. If the symptoms of zinc deficiency are not obvious, food supplements are generally sufficient; babies with severe zinc deficiency symptoms should be supplemented with safe and side-effect-free nutritional supplements. Xiangming Zinc Selenium Tablets are suitable for children. Biotransformed protein zinc has a high absorption rate and does not irritate the baby's delicate stomach. At the same time, it tastes good and is easy for babies to accept. Taking it regularly can improve children's appetite and promote growth and development.

What foods are good for zinc supplementation?

Zinc is a very important element in the growth of babies. If the baby is zinc deficient, the mother should supplement the baby in time. You can get a certain amount of zinc from different foods. The following will introduce it to you from 4 categories.

1. Seafood: oysters, shrimps, kelp, dried shrimps, scallops, etc.

2. Meat: beef, chicken, pig kidney, pig liver, etc.

3. Fruits: peanuts, walnuts, mulberries, apples, etc.

4. Vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, soybeans, white fungus, cabbage, etc.