Does the baby have less hair due to zinc deficiency?

My sister's baby is five years old, but he has always had very little hair. We don't know why. We suspect that the baby is zinc deficient.

Will babies have less hair due to zinc deficiency? Because zinc deficiency in babies is said to be a very serious condition, which seriously affects the child's physical development and makes the child grow very slowly. Therefore, it is very important to supplement the child with trace elements. There are many reasons why children have thin hair, but zinc deficiency may also cause thin hair. Change the child's current situation, take the baby to the hospital in time to check the trace elements and get appropriate supplements.

Does baby have less hair due to zinc deficiency?

Experts say that zinc deficiency is very common among children in my country, and most of them only have marginal zinc deficiency. The reasons include genetics, exclusive breastfeeding, and low birth weight, but are mainly related to unreasonable dietary arrangements and bad eating habits. The dietary structure of Chinese residents is based on cereals as the staple food. The phytic acid and polyphenols in plant foods will hinder the absorption of zinc. Overly refined and picky foods can also easily lead to zinc deficiency.

Zinc is essential for children. Experts point out that zinc is related to the activity of more than 80 enzymes in the body and is widely involved in various metabolic activities. Zinc deficiency can lead to loss of appetite, slow growth and intellectual development, and low immunity, which may have a significant impact on children's lives.

To determine whether a child is zinc deficient, doctors usually check the serum zinc level. Considering the impact of stress responses such as infection, hunger, and sweating on serum zinc, the serum metallothionein level should also be tested if necessary.

Experts emphasize that because hair growth more often reflects a child's health over the past two or three months, thinning hair cannot be used as a reference for zinc supplementation.

To supplement zinc for children, it is not necessary to choose some zinc supplements. In fact, zinc supplementation is very simple. An oyster, two slices of germ flour bread, a handful of pecans, a small bowl of fried mushrooms, the zinc content of any one of these foods is enough to meet the daily needs of children. Pork liver puree, three-bean porridge, and apple puree are also good zinc supplementary foods for infants and young children.

In short, it is a wise choice for smart parents to pay attention to daily balanced nutrition, not be picky about food, and have regular check-ups. Once it is confirmed that there is obvious zinc deficiency, it is timely to choose zinc supplements under the guidance of a doctor. If your baby is deficient in both calcium and zinc, it is best to supplement calcium first and then zinc 15 minutes later, because supplementing calcium and zinc at the same time may affect calcium absorption.

To sum up, this is the content about babies having less hair due to zinc deficiency. A child’s less hair cannot be attributed to the child’s zinc deficiency. There are many other factors that affect a child’s hair. However, if a child really lacks zinc, then the phenomenon of less hair will occur. Therefore, it is recommended that parents give their children appropriate supplements of trace elements that are lacking in their bodies.