title: Symptomatic zinc deficiency in breast-fed premature infants.
abstract: We report two breast-fed premature infants who developed transient symptomatic zinc deficiency with scaly erythema of cheeks and napkin area, 9-13 weeks after birth. Serum zinc concentrations were 3.6 and 4.8 mumols/l, and the lesions healed rapidly in response to oral zinc supplements. Both mothers had low breast-milk zinc levels (2.3 and 3.2 mumols/l at 21 and 15 weeks respectively). The infants were both initially misdiagnosed as having eczema and infection. Premature infants are in negative zinc balance and though the additional factor of a low maternal breast milk zinc concentration may be necessary to provoke symptoms, rashes developing in such infants in the months following premature birth should raise the suspicion of zinc deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lazaro
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lawrence
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D003963:Diaper Rash / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004890:Erythema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010304:Paronychia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc