Zinc deficiency: The leading cause of anorexia in children

Currently, many parents often try to give their children a lot of food, but neglect to fully supplement the necessary micronutrients for their children in their daily meals, leading to slow growth. In particular, zinc deficiency is the most common cause of this condition.

Children who are lazy to eat slowly growing up is a very common situation today, a concern for most parents. Therefore, parents often tend to force their children to eat a lot at each meal, but the core problem is to ensure that the child has an adequate amount of necessary micronutrients in each meal, the situation of lazy children with slow growth will be avoided. improve.
Children who are lazy to eat slowly grow up can be seen at many different ages, with obvious signs that children eat less than usual, children have a habit of holding food in their mouths for a long time. long and do not swallow, do not eat normal foods such as meat, fish, milk, eggs and many other foods, when it comes to meals, children often show signs of avoidance or nausea...

Some common causes of slow growth in children are:
Lack of nutrients: iron, calcium, zinc, vitamins... right from the months they are in the womb, these children are often born prematurely, so they lack weight, thereby lazy to breastfeed in the first years of life. Lack of nutrients leading to lazy eating can also be seen in older children because the daily diet does not provide enough nutrients, so children are deficient in some important substances such as vitamins D, C, group B, magnesium, zinc. On the other hand, if parents give complementary foods to their children too early, this diet may cause the child to have an excess of starch, so it also causes a slow growth. Children have a number of diseases of bacterial infections, viral infections of the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract. At this time, children will be deficient in vitamins A, C, Magnesium, B6, iron and zinc, making them lazy to eat. Some other causes can be mentioned such as food not suitable for children's taste, children are teething, children snack before meals, psychological causes of children.

Inadequate nutrition causes children to become anorexic, slow to gain weight, and affects children's health, including their immune system. Among the micronutrients that children often lack, zinc is one of the ingredients that parents often overlook but plays an essential role in helping children develop.
Children with zinc deficiency will lead to a number of conditions such as anorexia, slow food growth, reduced resistance, so they are more susceptible to some diseases related to respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, more dangerous. Another is malnutrition. In addition, zinc deficiency also slows down the growth of children in height, affects the children's mental health, making them prone to get angry easily with those around them.
About zinc, this is an important micronutrient in the development of children, involved in about 300 enzymes in necessary metabolic reactions of the body such as hematopoiesis, heart structure formation, create fat cells, create retinal nerve, create bone, regulate genes...
Some ways to supplement zinc for zinc-deficient children in each specific case are:
For children younger than 6 months old: Breastfeeding helps to absorb zinc easily, and the source of zinc in breast milk is also very rich, helping children grow in height as well as stimulate their appetite. For children with symptoms of anorexia, slow weight gain, they need to be examined and diagnosed, parents should not arbitrarily buy zinc supplements for children because it may cause some effects on the liver and kidneys of children. young. Some foods that help supplement zinc for children should be included in their daily meals, which are shrimp, eel, oysters, pork liver, milk, egg yolk, fish, soybeans, almonds, peanuts... When the child is experiencing an infection, it is not recommended to supplement with zinc, so it is best for the child to be examined and given an indication of zinc supplementation at a facility with expertise in pediatric nutrition.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for children's bodies, if children lack zinc, it will affect the development and health of children at any age, of which it is easiest to detect. the condition of children who are lazy to eat and grow slowly. To know clearly what nutrients a lazy child lacks, parents need to take the child to a medical facility for diagnosis and appropriate supplemental methods.

Zinc deficiency can cause dangerous complications for children's health and mental health, so parents need to observe and timely supplement this important source of vitamin.
In addition to dietary supplements, parents can give their children supportive foods containing zinc and essential micro-minerals such as Lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1... to help fully meet their needs. nutritional requirements in children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
>> Parents can learn more: What disease does zinc deficiency cause? When to take a zinc supplement? , The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Vu Quoc Anh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
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