Symptoms of zinc deficiency in one-year-old babies

The health of a baby is affected by many factors, among which nutritional factors are the most important, because the baby's growth must obtain necessary substances through food to help growth. Among them, calcium, iron, zinc and other elements are the most important. The lack of any one of them will have an extremely adverse effect on the baby's physical development. Let's take a look at the symptoms of zinc deficiency in one-year-old babies. I hope everyone can understand it.

First, reduced taste

When a child is zinc deficient, the tongue mucosa will not function normally and the sense of taste will decrease. If the child has a poor sense of taste, he or she will show symptoms such as anorexia and loss of appetite.

Second, slow growth

Zinc is related to the activity of more than 80 enzymes in the body, and the activity of enzymes is the key to cell metabolism in children. When a child is zinc deficient, the body's metabolic function will become abnormal, resulting in slow growth.

Third, skin problems

Children who are zinc deficient are more likely to develop some skin diseases, such as oral ulcers, shedding of tongue mucosa, etc. Older children may also develop acne.

Fourth, weak immunity

Zinc deficiency causes children's immunity to decline, making their bodies more susceptible to infection by bacteria. When children are zinc deficient, they are more likely to suffer from respiratory infections when the seasons change.

Fifth, low intelligence

Zinc can promote the synthesis of protein and DHA in children's brain cells. When a child lacks zinc, his intelligence will be lower than that of normal children.

What should babies eat to supplement zinc?

When it comes to zinc supplementation for babies, the first choice is food supplementation, which means eating more foods rich in zinc. When dietary supplements cannot meet the requirement, zinc can be supplemented through medicines, but the medicines should be taken under the guidance of a doctor to avoid trace element poisoning that harms health.

Foods high in zinc include beef, lamb, lean pork, animal liver, peanuts, soybeans, carrots, oysters, etc. From this we can see that children who are zinc deficient need to eat more meat. This statement has a certain basis. According to measurements, the zinc content in animal foods is higher than that in plant foods, and the amino acids produced after the decomposition of animal protein can promote the absorption of zinc. The absorption rate is generally around 50%. The zinc contained in plant foods can combine with plant acid and cellulose to form water-insoluble compounds, thereby hindering human absorption. The absorption rate is only around 20%.