母子保健クリニック

概要

A Study of a Sibling with Intractable Eczema Caused by Zinc Deficiency due to Low-Zinc Breastfeeding

Yota Tabata*, Shozo Maeda

Zinc deficiency may present with symptoms such as dermatitis, alopecia, decreased appetite, and growth retardation. When an infant presents with intractable dermatitis, zinc deficiency should be considered in the differential diagnosis, which may have been caused due to low levels of zinc in the breast milk.

In the present study, we observed three siblings with intractable eczema due to zinc deficiency caused by low-zinc breast milk.

All three patients presented with intractable dermatitis within four months of birth and had significantly lower serum zinc levels. The reason for this was insufficient zinc intake from low-zinc breast milk. In all the three cases, the symptoms improved with the administration of zinc preparations.

Breastfeeding is an essential nutritional method with many advantages. However, it is necessary to recognize that even complete breastfeeding may cause zinc deficiency.