It is true that micronutrient deficiency can lead to many diseases, including skin diseases. However, it is also undesirable to blindly supplement trace elements. There are many kinds of trace elements in the body, and the most commonly tested are seven kinds, which have a wide range of physiological and pathological significance in the metabolic process in the body. Physiological functions of trace elements 1.About 50%-70% of enzymes in the body contain trace elements or use trace element ions as activators; 2. Constitute important carriers and electron transfer systems in the body; 3. Participate in the synthesis of hormones and vitamins; 4. Affect growth and development and the function of the immune system. Common clinical trace elements 1. Zinc (Zn) Normal reference value: 55-110umol/l for children, 65-150umol/l for adults Clinical significance: Zinc is a metal mineral required for cell growth, protein synthesis, enzyme production and the immune system. Insufficient supply of zinc to infants and children affects growth and intellectual development, as well as taste and immune function. Zinc deficiency is the main cause of anorexia, and zinc deficiency in children can lead to loss of appetite, drowsiness, developmental stagnation and delayed sexual maturation, male sterility, female menstrual disorders, decreased resistance, wounds that do not heal easily, and can also cause eye dullness and even lifelong visual impairment. 2, calcium (Ca) Normal reference value: children 0.75 ~ 1.3mmol/l, adults 0.7 ~ 1.3mmol/l Clinical significance: calcium is an important component of the human body and has a wide range of physiological functions. ① Elevated: hyperparathyroidism, hypervitaminosis D, metabolic acidosis, tumors, etc. ②Decrease: hypoparathyroidism, rickets, osteoporosis, muscle spasm, chronic renal failure, renal transplantation or those on hemodialysis, vitamin D deficiency, respiratory acidosis or metabolic alkalosis, neonatal hypocalcemia, etc. 3, iron (Fe) Normal reference value: children 4 ~ 9.8 mmol/l, adults 4.5 ~ 10.6 mmol/l Clinical significance: the biological role of iron: synthesis of hemoglobin, synthesis of myoglobin, constitute the body’s necessary enzymes, participate in energy metabolism, etc.. ①Increase: hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, megaloblastic anemia, hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinopathies, hemochromatosis, lead poisoning, VitB6 deficiency leading to reduced utilization, etc. ②Decrease: iron deficiency anemia, infectious anemia, excessive blood loss, pregnancy and infant growth period, uremia, acute viral hepatitis, post-hepatitis cirrhosis, malnutrition, hookworm disease, chronic infection, diabetes, etc. 4, copper (Cu) Normal reference value: children 9 ~ 34umol/l, adults 10 ~ 36umol/l Clinical significance: the main function of copper is to maintain normal hematopoietic function and iron metabolism, there is an important physiological function is to participate in the synthesis of a variety of oxidative enzymes in the body. ①Increase: hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis, malignant tumor, remittance, hyperaldosteronism, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. ② decrease: liver metabolic disorders, cirrhosis, brain tissue atrophy, hypoproteinemia due to nephrotic syndrome, etc. 5, magnesium (Mg) normal reference value: children 0.68 ~ 2.06mmol/l, adults 0.7 ~ 2.06mmol/l clinical significance: ① increased: seen in renal insufficiency, especially in oliguria, anuria period, due to reduced renal clearance, plasma and red blood cell enzyme content are increased, can appear hypomagnesemia. Also seen in hypothyroidism, Addisan’s disease, multiple myeloma, severe dehydration and when treated with magnesium overdose, etc. ② lower: anorexia, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and weakness is a typical early symptom, followed by abnormal feeling, irritability, decreased attention, convulsions, spasms, arrhythmia; magnesium deficiency can lead to calcium, potassium and other electrolyte disorders. 6.Lead (Pb) Normal reference value: 0~100ug/l Clinical significance: It is a heavy metal element with neurotoxicity, mainly absorbed by respiratory tract, digestive tract and skin, and distributed to all tissues and organs of the body with blood flow, without any physiological function. Lead is easy to combine with sulfhydryl group of protein in the body, which can inhibit the enzyme containing sulfhydryl group and have an effect on hemolytic, anemia and dotted color erythropoiesis. It can disrupt the normal function of excitation and inhibition of cerebral cortex and cause a series of neurological symptoms, mainly involving the nervous, hematological, hematopoietic, digestive, urinary and cardiovascular systems. It is generally believed that blood lead >100ug/l can show obvious neurological symptoms and physical symptoms, which can be one of the testing indicators for the diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning. 7.Cadmium (Cd) Normal reference value: 0.003~0.06umol/l Clinical significance: After cadmium is absorbed into the body, cadmium sulfur protein is formed in the body and selectively accumulates in the kidney and liver. Among them, the kidney can absorb nearly 1/3 of the cadmium into the body, is the “target organ” of cadmium poisoning. Other organs such as spleen, pancreas, thyroid and hair also have a certain amount of accumulation. Cadmium in the body can be combined with protein molecules containing hydroxyl, amino and sulfur groups, so that many enzyme systems are inhibited, thus affecting the normal function of enzyme systems in the liver and kidney organs. As cadmium damages the renal tubules, patients can develop glycosuria, proteinuria and amino aciduria. Especially, bone metabolism is hindered, causing a series of symptoms such as osteoporosis, atrophy and deformation. Third, a comprehensive view of trace elements Children need to pay attention to trace elements examination after the age of half, and the two views mentioned earlier are not quite correct. The purpose of trace element examination is to help doctors and parents understand the content of major trace elements in children’s bodies at a certain period of time, so that they can make correct judgments about babies’ health, which shows that there is a need for it. However, this does not mean that every baby needs to be tested, as breastfed babies up to 6 months of age can be adequately supplemented with trace elements and do not need to be tested; after 6 months of age, when children start to add complementary foods, they may not be fed in a timely manner or may not be fed enough, so doctors will decide whether to test them by asking parents how they are fed and taking into account the baby’s physical condition. For older children, doctors will test them according to whether they are picky eaters or partial eaters, whether they are repeatedly sick, or whether they are congenitally deficient. Therefore, trace element tests for children are not mandatory, but are recommended by the doctor according to the baby’s condition. At present, there is no accurate and unified international standard for trace element test, and the result of trace element test is only a reference, whether it is healthy or not needs to be combined with the specific situation of children. When the test results come out, those who are “normal” are overjoyed and those who are “abnormal” are nervous – both of these reactions are a bit over the top. Micronutrient testing is only a screening tool, and its results can only be used as a reference. Whether a child is deficient in micronutrients cannot be judged simply by the value of the test report, but must be combined with the symptoms shown by the baby to make a definite conclusion. For example, some babies are clearly showing symptoms of calcium deficiency, but the trace element test results may be “normal”. Similarly, an “abnormal” result must be combined with the baby’s actual condition. Because the amount of trace elements in the human body is very small, the results of the test made by just a few drops of blood will be affected by many objective factors. In general, children with iron deficiency show weakness, hyperactivity, poor appetite and easy infection of wounds. Zinc deficiency is characterized by mouth ulcers and picky eating. Calcium deficiency is characterized by poor sleep quality, night terrors and pillow baldness. Micronutrient deficiencies do not occur in infants and toddlers as long as the diet is well balanced. If a baby is really deficient in a certain micronutrient, it can be completely solved by targeted food supplementation. Usually after a week of supplementation, they can reach the normal index. For example, iron deficiency can be solved by eating more animal liver, blood products and meat, and paying attention to vitamin C supplementation; zinc deficiency can be solved by eating more animal liver and shellfish; iodine deficiency can be solved by eating iodized salt and seaweed. If children are blindly given health supplements of trace elements, not only may the body not absorb them, but also the problem of mutual resistance between various trace elements may arise, such as calcium and zinc will affect the absorption rate of iron, and iron will also reduce the absorption rate of zinc, and the oversupply of trace elements may also lead to baby poisoning. Therefore, encourage your baby to have a varied diet, don’t be picky about what you eat, get proper sunlight, and exercise more to help the absorption of trace elements.