What should I do if my baby is zinc deficient at four months old?

A baby needs the most care from his parents in the first few months after birth, as his organs are still underdeveloped. Therefore, it is even more necessary to maintain the body's nutritional elements. Many babies suffer from zinc deficiency. But for those who have just had children or those parents who are not careful, they have no idea how to supplement zinc. This is not a good phenomenon, so many parents want to ask what to do if the baby is zinc deficient at four months old?

Methods/Steps

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.

Step 5: Drug treatment. Parents should pay close attention to their baby's mental state, growth and development, daily life, etc. If the baby has anorexia, chronic diarrhea, oral and skin infections, or poor growth and development, they should go to the hospital for examination in time. Babies who are indeed zinc deficient should be given preparations such as zinc sulfate syrup or zinc gluconate under the guidance of a doctor. The medication is generally used for 2-4 months, and should be stopped promptly after follow-up examinations return to normal.

Precautions

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

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.

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

Which foods contain a lot of zinc: lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken hearts, fish, oysters, egg yolks, skimmed milk powder, wheat germ, sesame, walnuts, oysters, beans, peanuts, millet, radish

What should I do if my baby is zinc deficient at four months old? After reading the above content, everyone should understand a lot. Because the baby is still relatively young, some medication supplements cannot be given. The best thing to do is to adjust your diet, which can help the body replenish zinc and better maintain other nutrients.