Dr. Vaidehi Dande – Pediatrician at Care For You Clinic (Mumbai, India) – said that even though micronutrients only make up a small amount in the body, they play an important role in growth, maintenance and development. Improve health and intellectual development at all ages, especially young children. Therefore, it is extremely important for parents to recognize that their children lack micronutrients.
It is extremely important for parents to recognize micronutrient deficiencies early in their children. Photo: Tue Nhi
What are micronutrients?
Micronutrients (also known as micronutrients) play a very important role in growth, intellectual development, maintaining and improving health and preventing disease.
Micronutrients include water-soluble vitamins such as vitamins B and C and fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, K… groups of mineral elements such as calcium, copper, iron , phosphorus, zinc, selenium…
Signs of micronutrient deficiency in children
Dr. Vaidehi Dande pointed out the following signs of micronutrient deficiency in children:
– Children gain weight slowly.
– Children have slow growth in height.
– Children often get sick or have infections such as sore throat, persistent nasopharyngitis or recurring diarrhea.
– Hair loss, crying at night and night sweats, difficulty sleeping.
– Blue skin, dry hair and brittle nails.
– Bone and joint pain, bone deformity, chest deformity.
Dr. Vaidehi Dande affirmed that when a child has the above symptoms, parents need to take the child to the hospital to check whether the child lacks micronutrients or not, and what micronutrients they lack, so that they can take additional measures. timely intervention.
Micronutrients may be deficient in children
Below are common types of micronutrient deficiencies in children:
Vitamin D deficiency: Initial symptoms include pain, delayed motor development and delayed teething in infants. Severe vitamin D deficiency can cause serious symptoms such as seizures in infants and bone deformities later in life. It also increases children’s risk of wheezing and asthma leading to hospitalization.
Iron deficiency: Iron deficiency can lead to poor appetite, poor concentration, weakness, fatigue, slow growth… Severe iron deficiency in the body can cause low oxygen levels and heart failure.
Vitamin A deficiency: Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, corneal damage and also increase the risk of lung and respiratory infections.