Elmasry, H., Hassan, A., Besher, M., Abd El-Moiz, M. (2019). Estimation of Serum Zinc Levels in Children with Short Stature. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76(2), 3432-3436. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.37922
Hosny Mohammed Ahmed Elmasry; Abd El-Monem Mohammed Hassan; Mohammed Ahmed Besher; Mostafa Mahmoud Abd El-Moiz. "Estimation of Serum Zinc Levels in Children with Short Stature". The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76, 2, 2019, 3432-3436. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.37922
Elmasry, H., Hassan, A., Besher, M., Abd El-Moiz, M. (2019). 'Estimation of Serum Zinc Levels in Children with Short Stature', The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 76(2), pp. 3432-3436. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.37922
Elmasry, H., Hassan, A., Besher, M., Abd El-Moiz, M. Estimation of Serum Zinc Levels in Children with Short Stature. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2019; 76(2): 3432-3436. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.37922
Estimation of Serum Zinc Levels in Children with Short Stature
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine - Al-Azhar University
Abstract
Background: Factors affecting malnutrition in toddlers include genetics, hormones, gender, infectious diseases, and chronic diseases. Nutritional factors that cause stunting include low intake of energy, protein, and micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, and zinc. Objective: the aim of this study was to estimate the relation between serum zinc levels and short stature among children. Patients and methods: our study included 50 children with short stature (Group I), and 30 children with normal stature as a control group (Group II). Any children with possible genetic, endocrinological cause of short stature, severe nutritional insufficiency, age beyond the 2-10 years range or having any chronic illness or infections were excluded from the study. Results: we found non-significant relations between serum zinc and demographic characteristics among group I cases. Also, we found non-significant relations between serum zinc and anthropometric measures (weight, BMI and head circumference) among group I cases. On the other hand, we found a positive and significant relation between serum zinc level and both of height and height percentile. Also, pallor was associated with significantly lower levels of serum zinc. We found non-significant relations between serum zinc and laboratory investigations among group I cases. The only exception was the moderate positive highly significant correlation between HB and serum zinc level. Conclusion: our study concluded that lower serum zinc level is associated with short stature among preschool children, and is also associated with more anemia, and lower WBCs count.