TY - JOUR

T1 - Zinc intake, zinc status and growth in a longitudinal study of healthy Danish infants

AU - Michaelsen, Kim F.

AU - Samuelson, G

AU - Graham, T W

AU - Lönnerdal, B

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - Mild, growth-limiting zinc deficiency might be prevalent in otherwise healthy infants according to recent studies. We examined zinc intake and status in 91 healthy term infants from birth to 12 months, as part of the Copenhagen Cohort Study on Infant Nutrition and Growth. Zinc intake was recorded monthly and the amount of zinc absorbed was estimated. These estimates were below recently published FAO/WHO/IAEA values for basal requirements in 68%, 62% and 14% of the infants at 2, 4 and 9 months of age, respectively. Serum zinc decreased significantly (p < 0.01) from 10.6 μmol/l at 6 months to 8.4μmol/1 at 9 months of age (normal range 10-18 μmol/l). Erythrocyte metallothionein values, a tentative indicator of long-term zinc status, decreased significantly from 2 to 6 months (p < 0.001) and from 6 to 9 months (p < 0.01). Serum zinc at 9 months was positively associated with growth velocity during the period from 6 to 9 months (weight: p = 0.05; knee-heel length: p = 0.002). The results provide descriptive data on zinc intake and zinc status in healthy Danish infants. Although some of our data suggest suboptimal zinc status during late infancy, evidence for this can only be obtained through a randomized intervention study.

AB - Mild, growth-limiting zinc deficiency might be prevalent in otherwise healthy infants according to recent studies. We examined zinc intake and status in 91 healthy term infants from birth to 12 months, as part of the Copenhagen Cohort Study on Infant Nutrition and Growth. Zinc intake was recorded monthly and the amount of zinc absorbed was estimated. These estimates were below recently published FAO/WHO/IAEA values for basal requirements in 68%, 62% and 14% of the infants at 2, 4 and 9 months of age, respectively. Serum zinc decreased significantly (p < 0.01) from 10.6 μmol/l at 6 months to 8.4μmol/1 at 9 months of age (normal range 10-18 μmol/l). Erythrocyte metallothionein values, a tentative indicator of long-term zinc status, decreased significantly from 2 to 6 months (p < 0.001) and from 6 to 9 months (p < 0.01). Serum zinc at 9 months was positively associated with growth velocity during the period from 6 to 9 months (weight: p = 0.05; knee-heel length: p = 0.002). The results provide descriptive data on zinc intake and zinc status in healthy Danish infants. Although some of our data suggest suboptimal zinc status during late infancy, evidence for this can only be obtained through a randomized intervention study.

KW - Breast feeding

KW - Erytrocyte metallothionein

KW - Infant nutrition

KW - Weaning foods

KW - Zinc deficiency

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028113917&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1994.tb18262.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1994.tb18262.x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 7841721

AN - SCOPUS:0028113917

VL - 83

SP - 1115

EP - 1121

JO - Acta Paediatrica

JF - Acta Paediatrica

SN - 0803-5253

IS - 11

ER -