Acquired Copper Deficiency: Prolonged Jejunal Nutrition Support in a Child

Are patients fed directly into the jejunum at risk of copper deficiency?

“…There are numerous causes for copper deficiency, including malnutrition, zinc toxicity and inadequate supplementation in at-risk patients, for example, those on parenteral nutrition 6. Case reports of copper deficiency associated with gastric bypass surgery have also been reported,7 8 as copper is predominantly absorbed within the stomach and the proximal duodenum 9.…”

“…Numerous authors5 6 10–14 have presented cases of copper deficiency in patients fed exclusively by jejunum. Paediatric papers have been appraised in table 1.…”