A Search for Similar Patterns in Hair Trace Element and Mineral Content in Children with Down’s Syndrome, Obesity, and Growth Delay

Dietary supplements for children with Down syndrome: exploration of current use and scientific evidence : Fieldwork and literature study

“…Also the relatively frequent use of medication in children with DS might possibly contribute to nutrient deficiencies due to drug-food interactions. These are discussed in 3.2.1.7. children with a growth delay, reported that 14% of DS children had lower hair levels of Zn [59]. Lower Zn levels were also found in the other two groups of children, indicating that alteration of trace element and mineral status in DS shares certain similar features to other disorders including obesity and growth delay [59].…”

“…These are discussed in 3.2.1.7. children with a growth delay, reported that 14% of DS children had lower hair levels of Zn [59]. Lower Zn levels were also found in the other two groups of children, indicating that alteration of trace element and mineral status in DS shares certain similar features to other disorders including obesity and growth delay [59]. Furthermore, in a study of Lima et al (2010) significantly lower plasma and urine Zn concentrations were found in children with DS aged 4 to 11 years, compared to children without the condition.…”

“…The authors recommend annual screening on anemia until the age of 18 years [66]. Two studies that investigated the concentration of hair elements did found a reduction of iron levels in children with DS compared to control values [59,67].…”

“…There might be a higher chance on nutritional deficiencies in DS, due to typical eating behaviours, feeding problems, or perhaps lower absorption [5]. However, only a few studies were found investigating habitual dietary intake in children with DS, showing inconsistent results on whether children and adolescents with DS have a lower of a higher energy intake as compared to children without DS [57][58][59]. Multiple studies investigated whether specific micronutrient deficiencies are more common in children with DS by measuring micronutrient levels in blood, hair, or urine.…”

“…Multiple studies investigated whether specific micronutrient deficiencies are more common in children with DS by measuring micronutrient levels in blood, hair, or urine. Regarding zinc deficiencies among children with DS, three studies found lower zinc levels in blood and hair in children with DS [35,59,60]. It is proposed that zinc metabolism is altered in the presence of DS, and that zinc has a relationship with the metabolic alterations usually present in DS [82].…”