Children can be immunocompromised due to zinc deficiency

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Pham Lan Huong - Pediatrician - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Zinc deficiency in children is a matter of great concern. According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the percentage of children with zinc deficiency in our country is still quite high, ranging from 25-40%, depending on the location and age group. One of the most frequently mentioned consequences of zinc deficiency in children is immunosuppression.

1. Children with immunodeficiency due to zinc deficiency

Zinc is an essential micronutrient present in many cell types of the body, playing an important role in the functions of growth, reproduction... of cells.
Zinc is involved in maintaining the health and nutritional status of the body, as it is a constituent of more than 300 different enzymes in important biological reactions such as digestive enzymes, protein synthesis and growth hormones. , sex hormones .
Zinc is essential for physical growth; some functions of the immune system, digestive system, endocrine system, brain, muscles, bones, sexual maturation. Zinc deficiency is often accompanied by a lack of other nutrients due to impaired digestion, absorption and metabolism, thereby causing many disorders, affecting health. In addition, zinc helps maintain and protect taste and smell cells. Therefore, zinc deficiency will cause anorexia by disrupting taste, slowing down normal growth and development in children. Zinc is also an indispensable catalyst of RNA-polymerase, playing an important role in DNA replication, protein synthesis, promoting biosynthesis and regulating the function of hypothalamic hormone axis such as IGF. -I, GH (Growth hormone), these are growth hormones and growth stimulants.
The central nervous system is also rich in zinc, accounting for about 1.5% of the total zinc in the whole body. Nerve cells (synapses) actively absorb zinc.
The immune system is especially sensitive to the body's zinc content. Scientific research shows that zinc deficiency causes immunodeficiency, adversely affecting the development and function of most immune cells in the body, including T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. and macrophages.

2. Causes of zinc deficiency in children

Zinc is found in many foods of animal origin. However, most children in developing countries like Vietnam eat very little foods that contain a lot of zinc and have a high absorption rate of zinc, such as cattle, poultry, fish, shrimp, etc. crab... Plant-based foods are generally low in zinc except for the germ of nuts.
The amount of zinc the body can absorb daily is about 5mg / day. This rate of absorption is highly dependent on factors such as the zinc content of the food, the source of the food, and the presence of inhibitors or stimulators of zinc absorption.
There are many causes of zinc deficiency:
Zinc deficiency diet, vegetarians, people with austere eating habits, people receiving prolonged parenteral nutrition. Digestive malabsorption such as due to chronic diarrhea, short bowel syndrome, enteritis, treatment of iron deficiency anemia. Zinc loss due to: Acute diarrhea, burns, hemorrhage, profuse sweating, hemolytic anemia, trauma, surgery, prolonged use of diuretics, nephrotic syndrome, drainage or partial leakage upper bowel and dialysis. The risk of zinc deficiency easily occurs when the body increases the need for zinc such as: During pregnancy, children are in the growth phase but lack of supply; babies born with low birth weight, mothers with severe morning sickness during pregnancy, lactation and convalescence.

3. Common manifestations of zinc deficiency

Young children: Children with zinc deficiency will have manifestations such as loss of appetite, growth retardation, muscle atrophy, and reduced energy consumption. Zinc deficiency will affect taste and smell, making children have no appetite when eating. Children are easily shaken, excited, hoarse. Zinc deficiency causes inflammatory skin conditions around natural holes, dermatitis of the anterior lower extremities, skin burns, pustules, keratosis; glossitis, inflammation of the oral mucosa; nail dystrophy, paronychia, brittle hair, pointed hair ends, baldness... Recurrent infections due to children's immunodeficiency due to zinc deficiency.
Older children: Zinc deficiency also has other symptoms such as bad eating (usually eating soil), taste and smell disturbances, slow growth in height, weakness, mood changes in children, impaired functioning of children. Brain. Children with psycho-neurological disorders with manifestations such as apathy, insensitivity, speech ataxia, hyperactivity. Children with zinc deficiency have manifestations of photophobia, night blindness, eyelid inflammation and may delay puberty, hypogonadism. Through recent studies, scientists have discovered more disorders caused by zinc deficiency in children such as vomiting, not eating fish, sleep disorders such as tossing, trouble sleeping, or night crying. ...

4. In what cases should early zinc supplementation be given to children?

You should supplement zinc for children when there is a cause of lack of supply and there are early warning signs of zinc deficiency in children as follows:
Digestive disorders: Anorexia, decreased appetite, prolonged sucking , prolonged vomiting, bad breath, constipation... Immune deficiency: Children have infections (respiratory, digestive, skin...) that recur many times. Nervous disorders: Children have sleep disorders, sleep less, toss and turn, have trouble sleeping, wake up, cry at night, lethargic, apathetic, impaired memory. Low birth weight infants. Children have slow physical growth, muscle laxity. The recommended daily zinc requirement for infants up to one year of age in the United States is 5mg, 10mg for children aged 1-10 years, 12mg for young women and women, 15mg for pregnant women, and 15mg for pregnant women. Breastfeeding women are 19mg for the first six months and 16mg for the next six months, while for young men and men it is 15mg.
When zinc deficiency, it is necessary to use therapeutic doses. You should combine zinc supplementation with nutrients at risk of deficiency such as iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B group and use a diet rich in zinc such as meat, fish, shrimp, etc. crabs, eggs, milk, mushrooms, beans, vegetables. For children under 6 months of age, the best and most easily absorbed source of zinc is breast milk. But the amount of zinc in breast milk will decrease over time. Therefore, breastfeeding women need to maintain zinc in milk as well as supplement zinc for the future development of children by using a lot of zinc-rich foods such as oysters, oysters, shrimps, and eels. , pork liver, milk, beef...
For children aged 6 months and older, zinc can be supplemented through food. In order for children to absorb zinc best, you should supplement vitamin C for children from available fresh fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits...

Children need to be supplemented with zinc daily depending on their age to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. In addition, zinc deficiency can lead to neurological disorders, irritability in children, affect learning and living results; Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
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