Zinc and Growth with Picky Eating in a Jordan Pediatric Clinic: An Observational Study

The study conducted at Al-Karak Teaching Hospital in southern Jordan examined 118 pediatric patients to determine the relationship between picky eating, zinc deficiency, and growth. Results indicated that picky eating is associated with lower weight for age Z-scores, hemoglobin levels, and vitamin D levels, suggesting that it can lead to various nutritional deficiencies beyond just zinc deficiency. Although rare conditions like celiac disease and acrodermatitis enteropathica were identified in 4 cases, these patients had significantly lower serum zinc levels. The income category of the family did not reliably predict zinc deficiency.