Nutritional status and the serum levels of Mg, Ca, Zn and Cu

Serum Mg, Ca, Zn and Cu levels of 65 Indian children aged 5 months to 3 y 7 months, living in Bombay city, were estimated by atomic absorption spectrometry. Twenty-five well nourished controls exhibited the following serum levels: Mg 2.5 +/- 0.3 mg%, Ca 9.7 +/- 0.6 mg%, Zn 103.2 +/- 9.7 micrograms % and Cu 148.7 +/- 26 micrograms %. The remaining 40 patients were divided into four categories depending on the status of their nutrition; Group I was minimally undernourished, whereas Group IV was the worst effected. Group I (n = 6) had serum values of 2.5 +/- 0.2 mg% Mg, 8.9 +/- 0.6 mg% Ca, 85 +/- 18 micrograms % Zn and 108 +/- 25.8 micrograms % Cu. Group II (n = 20) levels were 2.2 +/- 0.3 mg% Mg, 8.3 +/- 0.9 mg% Ca, 82.6 +/- 16.5 micrograms %, Zn and 89.2 +/- 27.6 micrograms % Cu. Group III (n = 9) were 2.1 +/- 0.3 mg% Mg, 8.3 +/- 0.8 mg% Ca, 88.3 +/- 22.6 micrograms % Zn and 93 +/- 26.9 micrograms % Cu, whereas the most severely undernourished (Group IV) children had serum levels of 2.2 +/- 0.4 mg% Mg, 7.6 +/- 0.8 mg% Ca, 78.4 +/- 15.7 micrograms % Zn and 62.8 +/- 17.5 micrograms % Cu.