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Updated: Aug 1, 2026

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
[Acquired zinc deficiency in a breast-fed premature infant]
I Guillot1, B Roth, A S Causeret
1Service de dermatologie, hôpital Edouard-Herriot, 5, place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon cedex 03, France.
Unlabelled:
Symptomatic zinc deficiency can occur in exclusively breast-fed infants. We report a case in a preterm infant.
Case Report:
A 3-months-old exclusively breast-fed premature infant presented with peri-orificial and acral eczematoid lesions. Laboratory investigations revealed lowered zinc levels in the infant's serum and in her mother's milk. A rapid healing occurred after oral zinc supplementation.
Discussion:
Zinc deficiency in breast-fed infants is a rare disease caused by a low level of zinc in mother's milk. The clinical features resemble those of acrodermatitis enteropathica. Oral zinc supplementation is required until weaning.
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