title: Erythrocytary zinc and the infant growth profile in northeast Brazil.
abstract: This study evaluated nutritional status linked to zinc levels in 239 randomly selected children at crèches in Teresina, Brazil, aged 3 to 6. Blood samples were collected after fasting of 10 h. Erythrocytary zinc levels were determined through flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Zinc deficiency was determined as below 40 microg Zn/g Hb. Infant linear growth was evaluated measuring weight and height, and nutritional status by height/age, weight/height, and weight/age indices, expressed as Z scores, in line with the National Center for Health Statistics. The mean zinc concentration was 35.50 +/- 10.95 microg Zn/g Hb. Zinc distribution in the 10, 50, 75, and 90 percentiles was 24.73 microg Zn/g Hb, 35.45 microg Zn/g Hb, 40.73 microg Zn/g Hb and 52.77 microg Zn/g Hb, respectively. Based on this distribution, normal values were found only from the 75th percentile and above. Since the cutoff point adopted was 40 microg Zn/g Hb, the prevalence of zinc deficiency was 74.3%. As for growth profile, 8.4% were chronically malnourished, although the statistical association between linear impairment and nutritional status regarding zinc was insignificant. The study revealed that an important segment of the infant population was mineral deficient; however, the degree of deficiency did not influence growth profiles.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Piauí (UFPI), Teresina, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gildene Alves
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Dilina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: do Nascimento Marreiro
authors.forename: Juliana Maria Libório
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Eulálio
authors.forename: José Machado Moita
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Amanda Castro
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Apolônia Maria Tavares
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Semíramis Jamil Hadad
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: do Monte
authors.forename: Nadir do Nascimento
authors.initials: Ndo N
authors.lastname: Nogueira