Chronic zinc toxicity in an infant who received zinc therapy for atopic dermatitis.
In Japan and many other industrialized countries, zinc is readily available as a nutritional supplement, for cosmetic purposes and for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. The potential risks associated with its use are not, however, fully recognized. As a reciprocal relationship exists between copper and zinc, excessive zinc can produce hypocupraemia, which can cause anaemia and neutropenia. We report on a male infant who presented with anaemia and neutropenia and showed signs of developmental delay after dietary restriction for food allergy and eating difficulties and zinc therapy administered for the treatment of atopic dermatitis at a dose nine times the daily dietary allowance for his age group. After 1 mo of zinc withdrawal, copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations had increased, and the blood cell count had improved, activity was increasing but verbal development remained limited. As development improved after withdrawal of zinc, we cannot rule out a relation between developmental delay and hyperzincaemia and/or hypocupraemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Caution must be exercised in administering zinc to children during their neurological development.
Sugiura
Tokio
T
Department of Paediatrics, Neonatology and Congenital Disorders, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan. tokio@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Goto
Kenji
K
Ito
Kouichi
K
Ueta
Akihito
A
Fujimoto
Shinji
S
Togari
Hajime
H
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005942:Gluconates / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
D005942:Gluconates; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; C030691:gluconic acid