How to supplement zinc deficiency in a 3-year-old baby?

When babies reach the age of three, they can basically eat by themselves. However, you cannot feed them all kinds of food at this time, because some foods are not only not very nutritious, but also pose some risks when eaten. It is actually very simple to decide what food to feed your baby, as long as it is nutritious children's meal. So, how to supplement zinc deficiency in 3-year-old babies?

What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency in three-year-old babies

1. Loss of appetite: picky eating, anorexia, refusal to eat, general decrease in food intake, children have no sense of hunger, and do not take the initiative to eat.

2. Eat strange things. For example: biting nails, clothes, chewing toys, hard objects, eating hair, paper scraps, raw rice, wall dust, dirt, sand, etc.

3. Growth and development are slow, with height 3 to 6 cm shorter than that of the same age group and weight 2 to 3 kg lighter.

4. Low immunity, frequent colds and fevers, repeated respiratory tract infections such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, etc.

5. White spots appear on the nails, hangnails grow on the fingers, and geographic tongue appears (irregular red and white patterns on the surface of the tongue).

6. Hyperactivity, slow reaction, lack of concentration and poor learning ability.

7. Vision problems: Decreased vision can easily lead to night vision difficulties, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, etc.

8. Skin damage: When trauma occurs, the wound is not easy to heal; it is easy to suffer from dermatitis and stubborn eczema.

9. Delayed sexual development during puberty, such as: small testicles and penis in male genitals, low testosterone levels, and poor sexual function; late breast development and menstruation in females; late appearance of pubic hair in both men and women, etc.

What to do if your three-year-old baby is zinc deficient

1. Dietary supplements: Eat more zinc-rich foods, such as beef, mutton, lean pork, peanuts, soybeans, carrots, oysters, etc. According to measurements, the zinc content in animal foods is higher than that in plant foods, and the amino acids produced after the decomposition of animal protein can promote the absorption of zinc, with the absorption rate generally around 50%; while the zinc contained in plant foods can combine with plant acid and cellulose to form water-insoluble compounds, thereby hindering human absorption, with an absorption rate of around 20%. When the content of iron, calcium, phosphorus, copper and other ingredients in food is too high, the absorption and utilization rate of zinc will be reduced. Food diversity should be ensured in daily diet, and efforts should be made to achieve a balanced diet.

2. Medication supplementation: This must be done under the guidance of a doctor, as there are many factors that affect zinc absorption. Especially for children with anorexia, they are often in a vicious cycle and it is difficult for them to get the required zinc from food, so medication supplementation is necessary. Be careful that the effective dose of zinc is very close to the toxic dose. Improper use can easily lead to overdose and induce a series of diseases such as iron deficiency, copper deficiency, and anemia.