As is well known, zinc is one of the essential trace elements for the human body and is a vital substance in important physiological processes such as human growth and development, reproduction and genetics, immunity, and endocrine function.
Therefore, zinc is also honored with the titles "Flower of Life" and "Source of Intelligence." It is precisely because zinc is key to the growth of brain cells that if a child is deficient in zinc for a long time, it will affect their brain function, reduce the number of brain cells, and consequently lead to poor intellectual development, making the child increasingly less intelligent...
Therefore, a reminder to all mothers: pay close attention to your child's diet, and strive for a reasonable and varied diet as much as possible in daily life. Especially during infancy and early childhood, when children grow and develop rapidly, their demand for zinc nutrition will be relatively higher.
So, some mothers may wonder: how can we know if our own child is deficient in zinc? And if they are, how should we supplement it for them?
These 8 major symptoms may indicate that your baby is deficient in zinc!
1. Loss of appetite.
Babies with zinc deficiency may not feel hungry, have no desire to eat on their own, and may also be picky or have a poor appetite;
2. Low immunity.
When a baby is deficient in zinc, their immunity is relatively poor, and they may frequently catch colds or have fevers;
3. Vision problems.
For older children, long-term zinc deficiency may lead to a decline in vision. At this point, parents will notice that their child has trouble seeing things clearly, is prone to bumping into things in dim light, and may develop myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism;
4. Pica.
When a baby is deficient in zinc, they may like to eat strange things, such as fingernails, clothes, toys, hard objects, hair, paper scraps, raw rice, wall scrapings, mud, sand, and stones;
5. Hyperactivity.
Zinc deficiency can cause a baby to be hyperactive, but with slow reactions, difficulty concentrating, and poor learning ability;
6. Poor wound healing.
If a baby is long-term deficient in zinc, their wounds will be less likely to heal than other children's, and they are also more prone to dermatitis and persistent eczema;
7. Abnormal skin and hair.
Nails are not smooth, with white spots appearing; hangnails on fingers; burn wounds that are slow to heal; sparse, yellowish, and lackluster hair, etc.
8. Delayed growth and development.
Babies who are long-term deficient in zinc will develop significantly more slowly than their peers. However, due to individual differences, it is not advisable to compare them excessively with other children. This should only be used as a reference to identify problems in a timely manner.
However, a reminder to all parents: if your baby exhibits more than one of these symptoms, it may indicate a possible zinc deficiency, but it is not certain. It is recommended to go to the hospital for a blood zinc test at this time to get a clear result, and then supplement zinc for your baby based on the doctor's advice.
Zinc deficiency is not good, but blind zinc supplementation is also not acceptable!
Because for babies who are not deficient in zinc, extra supplementation can lead to excessive zinc in the body, which can cause metabolic disorders and even damage to the brain, leading to a decline in memory. Furthermore, high levels of zinc in a baby's body may inhibit the absorption of iron and copper, and lead to iron-deficiency anemia.
For a zinc-deficient baby, food supplementation is better than medicinal supplementation.
In general, even if a baby is deficient in zinc, it is mostly a mild condition, so there is often no need to choose medication to supplement zinc. If mothers choose to use medicine to supplement zinc for their baby, they must strictly follow the doctor's instructions and control the dosage well.
More often, when a baby's zinc deficiency is not severe, experts suggest focusing more on their diet. For example, mothers can—
The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends the following daily zinc requirements: 3 mg for newborns to 6-month-old infants; 5 mg for 7-12-month-old infants; 10 mg for 1-3-year-old toddlers; 20 mg for pregnant mothers; 20 mg for lactating mothers; and 10-15 mg for normal adults.
Insist on breastfeeding.
The absorption rate of zinc in breast milk is high, up to 62%. Especially colostrum is rich in zinc, with an average concentration 4-7 times that of serum zinc. Therefore, for babies in their infancy, ensuring adequate breastfeeding is the best source of zinc supplementation, and breastfed babies generally do not experience zinc deficiency.
Add zinc-rich complementary foods.
After a baby is 6 months old, complementary foods can be added. At this time, you can selectively add more zinc-rich complementary foods that are easy for the baby to absorb, such as lean meat paste, beef paste, animal liver, oysters, egg yolk, fish paste, and peanut rice cereal.
Focus on a reasonable and balanced diet structure.
For older children or those who already eat the same meals as adults, they can fully absorb sufficient zinc from their food on their own.
Therefore, it is important to educate children from a young age to develop good habits of not being picky eaters and to focus on a reasonable and balanced diet structure, mixing coarse and fine grains. This way, a child generally will not be deficient in zinc.
Fun fact: Which foods are rich in zinc?
Foods rich in zinc include:
Shellfish: such as oysters, raw oysters, scallops, clams, etc.;
Meat: such as beef, lamb, lean pork, etc.;
Vegetables: Green vegetables are also rich in zinc, such as lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, celery, etc., among which celery has a relatively high zinc content;
Nuts and seeds: raisins, sesame seeds, pine nuts, peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, etc.;
In addition, egg yolks, millet, and carrots are also rich in zinc. Animal内脏, eggs, edible fungi, legumes, and fish are all rich in zinc.
Tip:
Mothers should pay attention to controlling the heat when cooking to reduce the loss of zinc. When the content of iron, calcium, phosphorus, copper, and other components in food is too high, the absorption and utilization rate of zinc will be reduced. Therefore, it is important to ensure a variety of foods in the daily diet and strive to achieve a balanced diet.