Related Experiment Videos
Copper deficiency in a low birthweight infant
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|July 1, 1979
Insights
Copper deficiency in a very low birthweight infant caused bone changes and low blood cell counts. Early detection through chest x-rays, prompted by pneumonia, was crucial for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Hematology
Background:
- Copper deficiency is a rare but serious condition.
- Infants of very low birthweight are at increased risk.
- Clinical manifestations can be subtle and easily missed.
Abstract:
Copper deficiency is reported in an infant of very low birthweight. It was characterised by extensive bone changes, severe neutropenia, and hypocupraemia. These manifestations could have been missed but for an intercurrent pneumonia which led to an x-ray of the chest.