title: Low vitamine A and zinc concentrations in Mexican-American migrant children with growth retardation.
abstract: Nutritional evaluations were undertaken on 102 Mexican-American preschool children who were below the 3rd percentile for height, weight, or head circumference. Serum vitamin A concentrations were low in 36 of 102 children (35%). Hair zinc concentrations were low in 28 of 96 children (29%) and plasma zinc concentrations were low in 35 of 94 children (37%). Children with only low height had a mean hair zinc level of 87.5 microgram/g, whereas those with only low weight had a mean level of 108.6 microgram/g and those with only low head circumference had a mean level of 100.1 microgram/g. There was no correlation of height percentiles with plasma zinc, hair zinc, or serum vitamin A. However, further studies are needed to determine if there is a relationship between growth retardation and zinc and/or vitamin A status in this population.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D015032:Zinc