How to supplement zinc deficiency in children

Zinc is very important for children. If the body lacks zinc, it will affect the child's normal growth and development, and will also affect the child's intelligence level. Therefore, it is very important to supplement the child with zinc in time. If the zinc deficiency is very serious, it will also lead to intellectual development problems and dwarfism in children. Parents should always pay attention to whether their children are zinc deficient and let their children eat more foods that can supplement zinc.

Continue breastfeeding

If you want your baby to avoid zinc deficiency, breastfeeding is recommended. The baby should be breastfed for at least 3 months, and then gradually switched to cow's milk or other milk substitutes. The absorption rate of zinc in breast milk is high, reaching 62%. In particular, colostrum is high in zinc, with an average concentration 4 to 7 times that of serum zinc.

Add zinc to complementary foods

When the baby is 4-6 months old, you can add complementary foods according to the baby's needs and actual situation. At this time, if the baby is zinc deficient, you can add some complementary foods rich in zinc. The zinc content in animal foods is higher than that in plant foods. Bottle-fed babies can add easily absorbed complementary foods from 4 months old, such as minced lean meat, egg yolks, fish paste, animal liver, oysters, peanut rice flour, walnut kernel powder, etc.

Zinc Supplement Products

If the baby's zinc deficiency is obvious, zinc supplements can be taken under the guidance of a doctor. For zinc supplementation, you can choose the third-generation zinc protein zinc, which supplements protein zinc. The zinc element is carried by protein, is highly active, and is very beneficial for gastrointestinal absorption without any gastrointestinal irritation. In contrast, organic zinc and inorganic zinc such as zinc gluconate and zinc sulfate are compounds and are not recommended for long-term use by children.

Maintain a balanced diet

Educate your children from an early age to develop good habits of not being picky or biased in eating, pay attention to a reasonable and balanced diet structure, and mix coarse and fine grains. In this way, children generally will not lack zinc. You should also be careful not to eat too much sweets to avoid affecting the absorption of zinc.

Prevention methods

The easiest way to prevent zinc deficiency in children is to emphasize breastfeeding, because human colostrum contains a large amount of zinc. As the months go by, the zinc content in breast milk gradually decreases. Although the zinc content in milk is no less than that in human milk, it is more difficult to absorb, which further demonstrates the benefits of human breastfeeding. As babies continue to grow and develop, they need to have a richer variety of food. A single food often causes zinc deficiency. In general, except for fat and protein, the zinc content in animal foods is higher than that in plant foods. Especially marine shellfish, which are richer in content. Among plant foods, kelp and seaweed have the highest content, while beans, nuts such as peanuts also have certain content, and fruits have relatively small content. The absorption rate of zinc in plant foods is 10%-20% or lower, while the absorption rate of zinc in animal foods can reach 35%-40%. Children can get enough zinc if they eat whole grains, nuts, meats, and seafood.