How does zinc deficiency affect children's health?

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays an important role in health.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays an important role in health. Zinc participates in the activity of enzymes that divide cells, develop the body and immune function, and regulate taste. Zinc is an indispensable component for children's bodies in the first years of life. Zinc deficiency is a condition in which zinc in the body is low, affecting the normal growth and development of the body, impairing functions, including the immune system, digestion, nervous system, endocrine system, bones, muscles, and sexual maturity.

Symptoms of zinc deficiency in children

Zinc deficiency in children manifests in many different forms and depends on the child's constitution. However, in general, when zinc deficiency occurs, children often have the following symptoms:

- If zinc deficiency is mild to moderate:

Children with mild to moderate zinc deficiency will have poor appetite, combined with other harmful disorders (nonspecific clinical signs) that can occur with zinc deficiency such as:

+ Symptoms of malnutrition: Children have slow growth, slow height growth, mild and moderate malnutrition.

+ Symptoms of digestive and metabolic disorders: Children will have symptoms of anorexia with reduced eating and breastfeeding. (Decreased energy consumption). Selective anorexia with meat and fish (not eating meat and fish). Children will have symptoms of indigestion, mild constipation, nausea and prolonged vomiting in children.

+ Symptoms of mental and neurological disorders: Children will have symptoms of sleep disorders (difficulty sleeping, insomnia, waking up, prolonged night crying); Weakness (headache, irritability, memory loss...). Emotional disorders (apathy, depression, mood swings). Taste and smell disorders, decreased appetite. Hyperactivity, disability, cerebral palsy, psychomotor retardation. Weakened brain activity, slow dreaming, paranoia, speech ataxia.

+ Symptoms of impaired immunity: Children with zinc deficiency may have recurrent respiratory infections (nasopharyngitis, bronchitis, recurrent pneumonia). Gastrointestinal inflammation, diarrhea. Dermatitis, blisters, pustules, mucosal inflammation.

+ Epithelial damage: Children will have dry skin, dermatitis on the front of the lower limbs, melasma, peeling skin, keratosis and cracked skin on both heels. Inflammation of the oral mucosa, glossitis (geographic tongue). Wounds that are slow to heal (burns, ulcers due to lying down for a long time). Skin allergies, itching in the eye and ear area (children often rub their eyes and ears), follicular keratosis. Nail dystrophy, paronychia. Brittle hair that breaks easily, baldness.

+ Symptoms of eye damage: Children will be afraid of light, have dry eyes. Loss of ability to adapt to darkness, blindness at night, night blindness.

- If zinc deficiency is severe:

Severe zinc deficiency in children will have typical skin lesions in acrodermatitis, with symptoms such as:

+ Dermatitis, keratosis, darkening and peeling of the outer skin of both shins (fish scales), baldness, nail dystrophy (wrinkled nails, white streaks, slow growth),

+ Corneal ulcers and inflammation around natural openings (anus, vulva) along with diarrhea are often associated with secondary infections with Candida Albicans or Staphylococcus Aureus...

+ Increased susceptibility to infections (causing recurrent infections.)

+ Nervous stimulation, cognitive disorders, mental lethargy.

+ Slow psychomotor development.

+ Slow sexual development, decreased gonadal function, low sperm count, impotence.

+ Severe malnutrition.

Children should be examined by a doctor so that they can be instructed on a care regimen or prescribed zinc supplements. Illustration photo.

To prevent zinc deficiency in children, what should parents do?

In fact, because zinc is not usually stored for long and has a short biological life (about 12.5 days), children's bodies are susceptible to deficiency if their daily diet does not provide enough.

In addition, children often suffer from diarrhea, infectious diseases, etc., which are the causes of zinc deficiency. If during pregnancy and after birth, the amount of zinc the mother provides to the body is not enough, it will lead to zinc deficiency in children.

Therefore, to prevent zinc deficiency in children, parents need to pay attention to choosing foods rich in zinc right from pregnancy, after birth and throughout the process of raising children. Parents need to breastfeed their children. Do not wean before 12 months.

During the weaning period, children need to eat a full and varied diet, especially foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and seafood. Attention should be paid to food hygiene and safety practices, using fresh foods, ensuring vitamins and minerals.

In addition, children with diarrhea and infections need to be examined and treated early. The treatment process requires attention to a zinc-rich diet, especially when suffering from infections and diarrhea.

Prevent malnutrition in children, if necessary, take your child to see a doctor for guidance on care or zinc supplements. Parents should absolutely not arbitrarily buy functional foods or preparations for their children to drink, leading to incorrect or excess dosages, which is not good for the child's health.

According to the national nutrition survey data of the National Institute of Nutrition, out of 10 children under 6 years old, 7 children are zinc deficient (accounting for about 70%). This is a worrying number regarding zinc deficiency in young children, requiring timely intervention to avoid future consequences.

According to Health and Life

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