Do babies need zinc supplements in summer?

Compared with other children of the same age, babies who are zinc deficient will develop slowly and have low immunity. As long as the weather changes or there is an infectious disease season, babies who are zinc deficient will get sick, which will make their parents very worried. Moreover, babies who are zinc deficient have slower learning ability, poor concentration, and slow reaction. These are all symptoms of zinc deficiency. Once it is discovered that the baby is zinc deficient, zinc supplementation should be given to the baby in time.

Insufficient zinc intake can easily cause babies to suffer from digestive tract diseases in summer, which will affect their absorption of zinc. Zinc mainly comes from animal protein foods such as lean meat, liver, eggs, and milk. Babies don’t like to eat meat in summer, which leads to reduced zinc intake. Excessive loss due to sweating. The temperature is high in summer and it is easy to sweat. Sweat contains more zinc, which leads to excessive loss of zinc. Babies lose up to 4 mg of zinc in sweat a day. Increased demand for zinc: Babies, like trees, grow and develop faster in spring and summer, especially newborns and infants. Their growth and development are rapid and they need large amounts of zinc, so they are prone to zinc deficiency. Babies who are bottle-fed for other reasons are more likely to be zinc deficient. Because the zinc content in colostrum is higher than that in mature milk, babies who are not fed colostrum or have insufficient breast milk after birth, and who are not given zinc-rich complementary foods in time, will suffer from insufficient zinc intake. In summer, zinc deficiency in babies will not only affect their appetite, but also reduce their immune function, leading to frequent illnesses. The reason is that zinc has a great effect on the bactericidal ability of phagocytes.

Studies have shown that among children with recurrent respiratory infections, the proportion of zinc-deficient babies is significantly higher than that of normal babies. Clinically, it has been found that injured children’s wounds heal slowly when they are zinc deficient. Therefore, parents should pay attention to providing their children with proper zinc supplementation. How to supplement zinc for babies in summer? Don’t blindly take zinc supplements.

For children who are not zinc deficient, additional supplementation may cause an excess of zinc in the body, leading to metabolic disorders and symptoms such as vomiting, headache, diarrhea, convulsions, and may damage brain neurons, leading to memory loss. At the same time, excessive zinc content in the body may inhibit the body's absorption of iron and copper and cause iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, zinc supplements should be used rationally under the guidance of a doctor. Beware of drug interference. Many drugs can interfere with the effect of zinc supplementation. For example, vitamin C combines with zinc to form an insoluble complex. Similar drugs include penicillamine and folic acid. These medications should be avoided when taking zinc supplements. Food should be delicate. 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 appropriately refined. Don't forget to supplement calcium and iron.

Studies have shown 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. For children with severe zinc deficiency, zinc supplements should be used reasonably under the guidance of a doctor. In order for your children to grow up healthily, remember to supplement them with zinc in the summer.