Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a role in immune health, wound healing and fetal development. The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that a zinc deficiency can halt growth and delay sexual maturation. In the United States, while zinc deficiency is not very common, infants exclusively breastfed after six months are at risk of not getting enough of the mineral and may develop cognitive problems.
Zinc in Early Childhood
The idea that zinc deficiency affects behavior in children has been a point of discussion since at least the 1960s. Today, experts seem no more certain of its effects than they were several decades ago. In a 2003 study published in the "Journal of Nutrition," researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine reviewed trials that analyzed zinc supplementation and behavior and development. Out of five trials that examined motor development skills in very young children, one found that zinc supplements led to improvements in very-low-birth-weight babies. Another highlighted the quality of motor development and the remaining three saw no impact at all. Motor skills refer to activities requiring the coordination of large and small muscles and are very early markers that could indicate problems in a child's development.
Among four trials that looked at mental development in very young children, three found that zinc supplements had no impact and one found that children given extra zinc had lower mental development scores compared to a control group.
Deficiency
Between the ages of 0 and 3 years, infants and toddlers need between 2 mg to 3 mg of zing a day. Between 4 and 13 years, kids need 5 mg to 8 mg per day. At 14, the recommended daily allowance of zinc depends on gender. Boys need 11 mg of zinc starting at age 14. Girls need anywhere from 8 mg to 13 mg daily, depending on their age, pregnancy and breastfeeding status. Zinc deficiency may be a major health problem globally, but not as much for children living in the United States. While zinc is available in a wide variety of foods, such as meats and fish, children who live on crops deficient in the mineral or that contain compounds that prevent zinc absorption are at risk for deficiency. According to the International Zinc Association, millions of children in the developing world are at risk for severe developmental delays because of inadequate zinc.
Activity Levels
Children who take in proper amounts of zinc may have more energy than kids who are deficient. One study highlights the difference in energy levels and performance between kids who get proper zinc nourishment compared to those who don't. In 1996, the journal "Pediatrics" published a study in which researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research in New Delhi analyzed 93 preschool children who were divided into two groups. Forty-eight children received 10 mg of zinc for 120 days, and 45 children in the control group received no zinc supplementation. The kids in the zinc group spent 72 percent more time performing different activities than the children in the control group. The researchers also compared both groups' energy levels, finding the zinc-supplemented kids significantly more energetic. The researchers conducted the same study on younger children in Guatemala and the results were similar.
Behaviors
In 1998, researchers from the University of Texas specifically studied the neuropsychological behaviors of zinc-supplemented and zinc-deficient children. The study, which was published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," reported that over the course of 10 weeks, 740 urban 6- to 9-year-old first-graders from low-income cities in China were given either 20 mg of zinc alone, 20 mg with other micronutrients or non-zinc micronutrients. Nutrients that could interfere with zinc activity were excluded or given in smaller dosages. Children who received zinc along with micronutrient supplementation improved the most in neuropsychological performance. Neuropsychology refers to the relationship between the brain, thinking and behavior.
References
- "Journal of Nutrition"; The Evidence Linking Zinc Deficiency with Children's Cognitive and Motor Functioning; Maureen M. Black; May 2003
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; The Evidence Linking Zinc Deficiency with Children's Cognitive and Motor Functioning; Maureen M. Black; May 2003
- Zinc Saves Kids: International Zinc Association: The Miracle of Zinc
- "Pediatrics"; Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Observed activity in Low Socioeconomic Indian Preschool Children; S. Sazawal, et al.; 1996
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Repletion with Zinc and Other Micronutrients on Neuropsychologic Performance and Growth of Chinese Children; H.H. Sandestead, et al.; August 1998
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