Saati Abdullah A, Adly Heba M
Community Medicine and Pilgrims Healthcare Department, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia.
Children (Basel). 2023 Jul 20;10(7):1249. doi: 10.3390/children10071249.
Inadequate levels of iron, zinc, and copper have been linked to growth impairment and cognitive and motor development deficits. The objective of this study is to examine the deficiencies of trace elements and their correlation with selective eating patterns and the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children.
The cross-sectional analysis involved 430 children aged between 7 and 10 years. Blood samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure the trace elements levels. Children's IQs were assessed using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices.
Among the sample group, 20.3% exhibited iron deficiency, 42.5% had zinc deficiency, and 14% had insufficient copper levels. Single trace element deficiency was observed in 56.9% of the children, while 66.7% showed coexisting deficiencies of iron and zinc. Children with lower development levels exhibited significantly lower serum zinc levels compared to those with higher development levels (76.78 ± 10.67 vs. 81.14 ± 10.19 μg/dL). The analysis reveals that picky eaters had lower serum iron levels (76.59 ± 10.42 μg/dL) and higher serum copper levels (123.74 ± 13.45 μg/dL).
A strong association was observed between zinc deficiency, picky eating habits, and lower developmental stages. The findings underscore the importance of monitoring nutritional status in children, given the significant implications for their cognitive development.
铁、锌和铜水平不足与生长发育迟缓以及认知和运动发育缺陷有关。本研究的目的是检查微量元素缺乏情况及其与儿童选择性饮食模式和智商（IQ）的相关性。
横断面分析涉及430名7至10岁的儿童。使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）分析血样以测量微量元素水平。使用瑞文标准渐进矩阵测验评估儿童的智商。
在样本组中，20.3%的儿童表现出缺铁，42.5%的儿童缺锌，14%的儿童铜水平不足。56.9%的儿童存在单一微量元素缺乏，而66.7%的儿童同时存在铁和锌缺乏。发育水平较低的儿童血清锌水平明显低于发育水平较高的儿童（76.78±10.67 vs. 81.14±10.19μg/dL）。分析表明，挑食的儿童血清铁水平较低（76.59±10.42μg/dL），血清铜水平较高（123.74±13.45μg/dL）。
观察到锌缺乏、挑食习惯与较低发育阶段之间存在密切关联。鉴于对儿童认知发育有重大影响，这些发现强调了监测儿童营养状况的重要性。
