Methods for zinc supplementation for one-year-old babies

Zinc deficiency in one-year-old babies is a relatively serious condition. We hope that mothers should understand the symptoms of zinc deficiency in one-year-old babies so that you can detect the presence of the disease in time. Generally speaking, for one-year-old babies with deficiencies, we can use dietary supplements to supplement the zinc needed by the child, or we can use medicinal supplements to achieve the desired effect.

The best way to supplement zinc in daily life is through food. According to measurements, animal foods are rich in zinc (3-5 mg/100 g), and the absorption rate is as high as about 50%. Plant foods contain little zinc (1 mg/100 g) and the absorption rate is only 10% to 20%. It can be seen from this that to prevent zinc deficiency, children should be encouraged to eat more lean meat, pork liver, egg yolks and other animal foods, and develop good habits of not being partial or picky eaters. Once zinc deficiency occurs, there is no need to panic. Just take some zinc sulfate or zinc gluconate under the guidance of a doctor to correct the zinc deficiency, significantly increase appetite, and gradually accelerate growth and development. The entire course of treatment should be 2 to 3 months. At the same time, experts say that blindly supplementing zinc is harmful to children. Too much zinc can damage the liver, and in severe cases, it can cause symptoms of jaundice hepatitis.

How to give your child zinc supplements:

1. Food supplements

This is the best way to supplement zinc. It is convenient and effective, and it is not easy to cause poisoning. Even if you eat a little too much, the body's regulatory system will reduce absorption in the digestive tract or increase excretion to maintain balance.

Babies under 6 months old need about 3 mg of zinc per day, babies 7-12 months old need 5 mg of zinc per day, and babies 1-10 years old need about 10 mg of zinc per day.

The zinc content per 100 grams of food is approximately:

3.8g lean pork;

Pork liver 4 mg;

Chicken liver 5 mg;

Egg yolk 3.4 mg;

Kelp 3.2 mg;

Fish and shrimp 8 mg.

2. Medicinal supplements

If the zinc deficiency is severe or the above-mentioned foods are lacking, you will have to resort to medication.

Zinc sulfate: It was first used in clinical practice, but it also has many defects. Long-term use can cause severe gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea, vomiting and even gastric bleeding.

Zinc gluconate: It is an organic zinc that only causes mild gastrointestinal discomfort, which can be eliminated by taking it after meals. It can be dissolved in juice and fed to infants.

Zinc yeast: The most ideal, it is a pure natural product produced using bioengineering technology. Zinc is combined with protein, has high bioavailability, tastes good, and children are more willing to accept it.

In order to achieve the ideal effect of food supplements, especially medicinal supplements, the following tips are very important and you must know:

1. Pay attention to the seasonality of zinc supplementation:

In summer, due to the high temperature, children have poor appetite and eat less, so their zinc intake is bound to decrease. In addition, due to the loss of zinc caused by excessive sweating, the amount of zinc supplementation should be higher than in the other three seasons.

2. Beware of drug interference:

Many drugs can interfere with the results of zinc supplementation. For example, tetracycline can combine with zinc to form a complex, and vitamin C can combine with zinc to form an insoluble complex. Similar drugs include penicillamine and folic acid. These medications should be avoided when taking zinc supplements.

3. Food should be fine:

Leeks, bamboo shoots, oats and other foods are high in crude fiber, while bran and cereal germs contain high in phytate. Both crude fiber and phytate can hinder the absorption of zinc, so the diet during zinc supplementation should be more appropriate and refined.

4. Don’t forget to supplement calcium and iron:

The latest research shows that supplementing zinc with calcium and iron can promote the absorption and utilization of zinc to speed up the body's recovery because the three elements work synergistically.

After reading the above statements, did our young and inexperienced mothers benefit a lot? A one-year-old baby is still very weak, and his body functions are not fully developed. Zinc supplementation cannot be done blindly. It is best to do it in the form of food, which is healthier and more useful. The baby is still young, so it is necessary to avoid interference from drugs, which is very bad for the baby. I hope the above suggestions can help young mothers.