Abstract
Conclusion: A diet of breast milk can, in rare circumstances, cause insufficient zinc intake resulting in severe zinc deficiency syndrome with characteristic dermatological features. Therapy consists of temporary oral zinc supplementation at a daily dose of 50 μmol/kg. A formerly premature, exclusively breast-fed infant with severe zinc deficiency syndrome is presented. He showed the characteristic erosive skin changes, including alopecia, as seen in acrodermatitis enteropathica. In addition, he manifested a failure to thrive and irritability. The diagnosis was confirmed by reduced serum levels of zinc (2.3 μmol/l) and alkaline phosphatase (45 U/l). We consider the reduced zinc supply in the breast milk (5.7 μmol/l) as the most likely cause of the disease. Therapy consisted of oral zinc supplements (50 μmol/kg/day) for a period of 30 weeks. Symptoms and laboratory values normalized completely and did not recur on a normal diet.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 71-75 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | European Journal of Pediatrics |
Volume | 154 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1995 |
Keywords
- Acrodermatitis enteropathica
- Breast-fed
- Preterm infant
- Zinc deficiency
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health