Symptomatic Zinc Deficiency in a Full-Term Breast-Fed Infant

    June 2010 in “ Dermatology Online Journal ”
    Sambasiviah Chidambara Murthy, Malleshappa M Udagani, Ashok Badakali, Bhuvaneshwari C Yelameli
    TLDR Zinc supplements and weaning cured a breast-fed baby's zinc deficiency caused by a gene mutation.
    A nine-month-old breast-fed female infant exhibited symptoms of zinc deficiency, including skin eruptions, sparse hair growth, and diarrhea. Clinical investigations indicated hypozincemia, and treatment with zinc supplementation and weaning from breastfeeding resolved the symptoms, confirming a diagnosis of hypozincemia type-II. The condition was linked to a mutation in the zinc transporter gene SLC30A2 (ZnT-2) in the mothers, highlighting the risk of zinc deficiency in infants exclusively breast-fed for extended periods.
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