Do children need zinc supplements? A must-see for moms

Do children need zinc supplements? This is a very definite problem. When a child lacks zinc, it will lead to decreased immunity, loss of appetite and other phenomena, which will cause the child's physical condition to deteriorate. During the growth process, if zinc is lacking, it will affect the child's growth. Therefore, parents should pay attention to this problem. Zinc supplementation is very important. Zinc is also a very important element in the human body.

There are two ways to supplement zinc: dietary supplements and medicinal supplements.

1. Food supplements: Liver, fish, lean meat, milk, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, and beans contain a lot of zinc. Pay attention to adjusting children's diet.

2. Medical supplements: Since there are many factors that affect zinc absorption, especially for children with anorexia, they often enter a vicious cycle and it is difficult for them to get the required zinc from food, so they must take medical supplements. Currently, zinc preparations include zinc sulfate, zinc gluconate, licorice zinc, yeast zinc, etc.

Children can only take zinc preparations after they have been diagnosed with zinc deficiency. (1) The daily zinc supplement for children is: 3 mg for infants from birth to 6 months, and 5 mg for infants from 7 to 12 months. For children with iron deficiency anemia and rickets, if zinc supplementation is needed during iron and calcium supplementation, the dosage should not be too large; (2) Milk is not conducive to zinc absorption, so zinc products should not be taken with milk; (3) Breastfed infants and young children generally do not lack zinc, so there is no need to supplement zinc; (4) For children with poor appetite, serum iron and serum zinc should be measured, and symptomatic treatment should be given after the cause is found; (5) For children who often eat lean meat, fish, eggs, liver, shellfish, walnuts, peanuts and watermelons, as long as they pay attention to their dietary structure, they do not need to supplement zinc; (6) Zinc preparations should not be taken on an empty stomach and should be taken after meals.

In addition, parents are reminded that with the development of science, when choosing zinc preparations, they should choose products with high bioavailability, good safety performance, little gastrointestinal irritation, and easy for children to accept.