What to do if children are deficient in zinc and calcium

When children are deficient in calcium and zinc, many people don’t know how to supplement them best, especially for many first-time parents. For them, they don’t know what symptoms their children have when they are deficient in zinc and calcium. The main symptoms of zinc and calcium deficiency in children can be judged from the child’s development. If a child is deficient in both zinc and calcium, then the child may not grow. Let’s take a look at what to do if children are deficient in zinc and calcium.

Dietary supplements must choose the right food

Many parents prefer animal bones, such as pork ribs soup, but it is actually "one-sided". It turns out that the calcium content in spare ribs is low, with only about 25 mg of calcium in 1 pound of spare ribs. In addition, the calcium in the bones is difficult to dissolve in the soup (the calcium in the soup is only 1/10 of that in the spare ribs). However, a baby's daily calcium requirement is at least 400 mg, so spare rib soup obviously cannot meet this requirement. In comparison, whether in terms of calcium content or absorption rate, milk is the best source, with breast milk being the best, followed by formula milk, and then fresh milk. In addition to milk, fish, eggs, beans, green leafy vegetables, etc. are worth recommending.

The timing of taking medicine supplements should be grasped

For example, calcium supplements should not be taken with plant-based foods or fatty foods, because plant-based foods such as vegetables mostly contain salts such as oxalates, carbonates, and phosphates, which can combine with calcium and hinder calcium absorption; and fatty acids are generated after the decomposition of fats, which can also combine with calcium and are not easily absorbed by the intestines. Secondly, in order to avoid breast milk interfering with calcium absorption, it is best to arrange calcium supplementation between two feedings.

Promotes calcium absorption

As the saying goes: One friend is worth three helpers. The same is true for calcium. After it is ingested with food, it requires a variety of factors to promote the body's absorption and utilization so that it can fully play its role. For example, vitamins D and C can promote calcium absorption, and a balance of meat and vegetables can improve calcium utilization (such as stewing fish with tofu, mixing grains and beans, etc.).

Imbalance in calcium-phosphorus ratio

Under normal circumstances, the ratio of calcium and phosphorus in the baby's body is 2:1. In other words, calcium is twice as much as phosphorus. If the baby's diet is exactly this ratio, then the absorption rate of calcium will be high. What is the actual situation? Since most parents cater to their babies' tastes, they allow them to consume excessive amounts of carbonated drinks, cola, coffee, hamburgers, pizza, wheat germ, French fries and other foods, which are "rich mines" of phosphorus. This causes a large amount of phosphorus to flow into the body, making the ratio of calcium to phosphorus as high as 1:10 or more. Once there is too much phosphorus, it will "drive" calcium out of the body, leading to calcium deficiency.

Reduce calcium loss

Some babies have taken a lot of calcium supplements and also paid more attention to increasing their intake of vitamin D and vitamin C, but they are still calcium deficient. In this case, you need to reflect on whether the food combination is scientific. It is likely that some inappropriate food ingredients have increased calcium loss.

The above are various treatments for children's zinc and calcium deficiency. First of all, we must improve the children's diet and life, give them more foods that can supplement zinc and calcium, and then let the children get more sun exposure, which can help supplement calcium for the children. If necessary, we should also supplement the children with cod liver oil, which is a calcium supplement, and to supplement zinc, give the children zinc gluconate oral solution.