What should I do if my seven and a half month old baby is zinc deficient?

Nowadays, many newborn babies suffer from zinc deficiency. Sometimes, because the baby's physical constitution cannot be compared with that of adults in all aspects, parents need to pay more attention to take care of them. Zinc supplementation by taking medicine or other methods is not particularly guaranteed, so many parents are confused about how to help their children replenish zinc in their bodies. So, what should I do if my seven and a half month old baby is zinc deficient?

Dietary supplements: Infants rely on breast milk to supplement zinc. Infants should be breastfed for at least 3 months. The absorption rate of zinc in breast milk is high, reaching 62%.

After weaning, add 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%.

Note: Excessive food processing will destroy zinc. Therefore, you must control the heat when cooking food to reduce the loss of zinc.

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.

Drug supplementation: must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor

Since there are many factors that affect zinc absorption, especially for children with anorexia, they often enter a vicious cycle and find it difficult to get the required zinc from food, so they must supplement with medication. Currently, zinc preparations include zinc sulfate, zinc gluconate, licorice zinc, yeast zinc, etc.

Note: 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.

Which foods are rich in zinc: lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken hearts, fish, oysters, egg yolks, skimmed milk powder, wheat germ, sesame, walnuts, oysters beans, peanuts, millet, and radish.

How much zinc does a baby need every day: 3 mg/day for children under 6 months old; 5 mg/day for children 6 to 12 months old; 10 mg/day for children 1 to 13 years old; 15 mg/day for children over 13 years old.

Precautions

If children have a normal diet and are not sick, their daily zinc intake from the diet can basically meet this standard.

Zinc is a trace element, so supplementation must be moderate. If you consume too much, it can cause poisoning, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. It can also cause fever, anemia, growth retardation, joint bleeding, bone decomposition, kidney failure, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc.

Excessive intake of zinc in the human body will interfere with the absorption of other nutrients.

Too much zinc in the body will also inhibit the phagocytic and bactericidal effects of white blood cells, causing impaired immune function.

The baby is the apple of the family's eye. If something happens to the baby, the family will definitely be worried. But don’t be so anxious that you don’t know how to treat the disease. The above article introduces how to supplement zinc for seven and a half month old babies through food. This will be healthier and will not have any other side effects.