What should I do if my baby is seriously zinc deficient?

Recently I found that my baby doesn't like to eat, likes to lose temper, and cries often. I went to the hospital to check for trace elements and it was found to be severe zinc deficiency. So what should I do if my baby is seriously zinc deficient? I also consulted some parents, and they all said that I could give the baby some zinc supplements, which would be more effective. But I still think that taking medicine will have side effects and my baby is still young and I don’t know if the medicine will be absorbed poorly. There are many methods of dietary supplements, and I need to know some that are suitable for my baby, because his symptoms have become more and more serious recently.

What should I do if my baby is seriously zinc deficient?

Step 1: Check your blood zinc levels. When parents find that their children have anorexia, pica, etc. due to zinc deficiency, they should go to the hospital in time to ask the doctor to check the zinc content in the child's blood and supplement zinc according to the body's needs. Zinc drugs must not be used as nutritional supplements. "

Step 2: Feed your baby with breast milk. We have always advocated breastfeeding, not only because breast milk is rich in nutrients, many of which are irreplaceable by cow's milk or milk powder, but also because these nutrients are easier for babies to absorb than cow's milk and milk powder. The zinc content in breast milk is almost the same as that in cow's milk, but the absorption rate of zinc in breast milk is much higher than that in cow's milk. Therefore, unless breastfeeding is really impossible, mothers are advised to breastfeed for the healthy development of their babies.

Step 3: Let your child eat foods high in zinc. If a breastfed child is zinc deficient, the mother can increase the zinc content in breast milk by eating more foods high in zinc. This way, the baby can also get more zinc by sucking breast milk.

Step 4: Remember that blindly supplementing zinc is harmful to children. Too much zinc can cause damage to the liver, and in severe cases, it can cause symptoms of jaundice hepatitis. It will also weaken the immune function. Under the action of magnesium ions, zinc can inhibit the activity of phagocytes and reduce their chemotaxis and bactericidal effects. Under normal circumstances, this effect will be inhibited by serum proteins and calcium ions. Therefore, if people with hypocalcemia and children with rickets take too much zinc, it will lead to damaged immune function and weakened disease resistance.

Through the above content, we have learned the specific methods about what to do if the baby is severely zinc deficient. However, we still think that dietary supplements are more appropriate. Regardless of the age of the baby, dietary supplements are safe. And it should be noted not to supplement too much zinc, which will endanger the child’s health. Therefore, parents need to specifically analyze the severity of the child’s zinc deficiency before they can provide appropriate supplements.