How long should children take zinc?

Zinc plays an important role in the physical and intellectual development of children, especially in the early stages of life. Zinc deficiency can make children stunted, stunted growth. However, improper zinc supplementation causes many complications for the baby. So how long to take zinc, how to drink zinc properly?

Zinc is a special micronutrient necessary for the development of height, muscles, immunity and nerves of young children. Some of the important roles of zinc can be mentioned:
Helps children eat well by maintaining and protecting their taste and smell cells. Increases protein absorption and synthesis. Supporting and maintaining the immune system, the differentiation of B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes creates a solid defense against pathogens. Transporting calcium - a substance that helps stabilize nerves and brain, supports bone development. If zinc deficiency, the process of cell division in the body will slow down, causing growth retardation, delayed puberty and reduced sexual function. Children are also prone to infections (diarrhea, respiratory infections...), malnutrition, irritability, sleep disturbances and anorexia...
If children show signs of zinc deficiency, parents Children should be taken to nutrition centers, medical facilities for examination, diagnosis of causes and instructions on treatment. Here, the doctor will decide whether to add zinc to the child or not, how long to take zinc... Usually, the zinc supplement time can last for 2-3 months, depending on the situation. children's health status.

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the need for zinc supplementation of young children is distributed by age as follows:
Children under 6 months old: 2mg element/day Children from 7 months to 12 months old: 3-5mg element/day Children 4-8 years old: 5-10mg element/day Particularly in case of diarrhea, it is also very important to supplement zinc with the correct dose during treatment. . Accordingly, children under 6 months of age with diarrhea are recommended to supplement with 10mg of zinc/day, children from 6 months to 5 years of age are recommended to supplement with 20mg of zinc/day. The duration of zinc supplementation for children is 14 consecutive days.
For infants under 6 months of age, the best and most easily absorbed source of zinc is breast milk. For children over 6 months old, zinc can be supplemented through food and supplement products prescribed by a doctor.

Here are some notes when supplementing with zinc for children that parents should be concerned about:
Add medicine containing zinc (zinc gluconate or zinc sulfate) about 30 minutes after eating. Do not take zinc and iron (or calcium) tablets at the same time, instead take them at least 2 hours apart. To optimize the child's ability to absorb zinc, the menu should include foods rich in vitamin C, and reduce foods rich in fiber, copper, and iron. In addition to prevent the risk of zinc deficiency in children, parents should do the following:
Diversify foods in each child's meals, giving priority to zinc-rich foods such as: lean pork , milk, dried seeds, oysters, radishes, peas, egg yolks... Supplementing with zinc for infants by exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and maintaining it for up to 24 months. Increase the intake of foods rich in vitamin C such as green vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes...) and fruits (guavas, oranges, strawberries, papaya...); Use more zinc-fortified products such as zinc-fortified flour, zinc-fortified seasoning, zinc-fortified biscuits, milk, nutritional powder, zinc-fortified nuggets... in children's daily meals; To increase absorption, when supplementing with zinc, vitamins A, B6, C and phosphorus should be added at the same time. Avoid excess zinc supplements that cause reduced immunity. In summary, zinc plays a huge role in the development of young children at each stage, so parents should pay attention to supplementing with biological zinc, whether zinc is available in food or through culture technology. It is still guaranteed to be natural, easy to absorb, and safe for baby's health.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
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