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Mineral elements in the hair of amblyopic children

Qiaolin Zhu1, Jie Chen, Meiqin Zheng

  • 1School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Affiliated Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, China.

Biological Trace Element Research
|May 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with amblyopia, a common vision impairment, showed altered hair mineral levels, specifically higher calcium and magnesium and lower manganese. This suggests a link between nutritional elements and childhood vision development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric ophthalmology
  • Nutritional science
  • Environmental health

Background:

  • Amblyopia is a leading cause of vision impairment in children, with unclear etiological factors.
  • Mineral elements are crucial for neurological and visual system function.
  • The specific relationship between amblyopia and nutritional mineral elements remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between hair mineral element levels and amblyopia in children.
  • To explore potential correlations between body mass index (BMI) and amblyopia.
  • To highlight the role of mineral nutrition in pediatric visual development.

Main Methods:

  • Hair samples were collected from 67 children diagnosed with amblyopia and 57 age-matched controls.
  • Mineral element concentrations were quantified using atomic absorption spectrometry and ICP-AES.
  • Height, weight, and BMI were measured for all participants.

Main Results:

  • Amblyopic children exhibited significantly higher hair calcium and magnesium levels (p < 0.006).
  • Lower hair manganese levels were observed in children with amblyopia compared to controls (p < 0.006).
  • Amblyopic children had a higher BMI (p < 0.001), while other measured elements showed no significant differences.

Conclusions:

  • Hair mineral element profiles, particularly calcium, magnesium, and manganese, may be associated with amblyopia in children.
  • Elevated BMI in amblyopic children warrants further investigation.
  • These findings underscore the importance of considering mineral nutrition in understanding and addressing pediatric vision disorders.

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