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Diarrhea is a common disease among young children in Vietnam, if not treated promptly, it can adversely affect the baby's health. Some parents choose zinc supplements for children with diarrhea to treat diarrhea. So why is zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea an effective method?
1. Overview of diarrhea in young children
Diarrhea in children is characterized by heavy stools about 3 times a day, stools each time are often loose. Diarrhea in young children is divided into two types:
Long-term diarrhea: Usually lasts about 14 days Acute diarrhea: Usually occurs suddenly and lasts for a short time. In Vietnam, out of the total number of children with diarrhea, more than 80% of cases are acute diarrhea. Causes of diarrhea in infants and young children can be due to:
Children with zinc deficiency are at higher risk of diarrhea and the condition also usually lasts for more days Unclean, unclean food and water Ensuring hygiene is also easy for children to have diarrhea Children have to wean early, drink less breast milk or eat foods that are not suitable for their age In the period from 6 to 12 months, children are often very hyperactive, want to examine many objects and have a habit of sucking, creating an opportunity for bacteria to easily enter the baby's body and digestive system. See now: How to supplement zinc for anorexia children
Bổ sung kẽm cho trẻ tiêu chảy là phương pháp được nhiều cha mẹ lựa chọn
2. Why is zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea an effective method?
Why is zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea effective is a question that makes many mothers wonder. This question was answered through a survey in Vietnam on the causes of diarrhea in children. Accordingly, zinc deficiency is the main cause of diarrhea in children (accounting for 30-40% of cases). Zinc deficiency reduces the immunity against pathogens in young children. In addition, not enough zinc also disrupts the digestive system and absorption of substances in children, leading to medical conditions such as diarrhea, slow body development.
In another study of diarrhea in 272 children aged 6-12 months that took place over two weeks, experts found significant evidence of the need for zinc. Of these, 134 children received zinc and 124 children received placebo.
After the study, the group of children taking zinc supplements had 39% fewer days of diarrhea and the duration of diarrhea than the placebo group. In addition, the zinc treatment group also had positive results, such as a significant reduction in acute diarrhea (31%), chronic diarrhea (70% reduction) and dysentery (up to 97%). %). Other conditions such as constipation and vomiting were not different in both groups.
From the above results can directly see the importance of zinc for the treatment of diarrhea. Zinc supplementation for infants with diarrhea not only reduces the risk of disease, but also reduces the severity of the disease.
Watch now: Zinc supplementation and growth in children
Bổ sung kẽm cho trẻ tiêu chảy
3. Scientifically appropriate way to supplement zinc for children with diarrhea
World Health Organization WHO recommends zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea, the dose is as follows:
Children under 6 months of age: Take about 10mg/day and supplement from 10-14 days Children over 6 months old: Take about 20mg/day and supplement for 10-14 days In addition, parents also need to keep in mind the following notes when supplementing zinc for children with diarrhea: Breast milk is normal and try to increase feedings. If zinc is still not enough, you can consult your doctor about other suitable supplement methods. For children over 6 months old, mothers should diversify their nutrition from solid foods for babies. Food needs to be cooked, softened and diluted, so divide the baby's portion into several meals a day to be good for the baby's digestive system. Besides supplementing with zinc, you also need to pay attention to other substances such as vitamins A, C, potassium, ... from oranges, papayas, bananas, mangoes,... Zinc is not just an element. It is necessary for the physical and intellectual development of young children, but reasonable supplementation of zinc for children with diarrhea will also help them quickly recover from the disease and reduce the bad effects caused by diarrhea.
On the market, zinc is used as a micronutrient, used to provide the body with 2 types of preparations: synthetic zinc and biological zinc. While synthetic zinc is produced industrially from chemical reactions in pharmaceutical factory labs, bioavailable zinc is derived entirely from nature. Accordingly, to produce biological zinc, scientists extract it from organic food sources, similar to how the body absorbs zinc from food. This helps to increase the absorption of zinc into the blood of biological zinc up to 3.7 times compared to synthetic zinc. From those reasons, the use of biological zinc for children is also safer.
In addition, do not forget to consult specialist doctors to get the most accurate indication for your child's diarrhea.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.
