How to check trace elements in children?
Disease description:
My child is currently 8 years old. Since childhood, he/she has been quite picky about food and has never been in good health, frequently catching colds. Now I feel it might be due to a deficiency in certain trace elements. How can children be tested for trace element levels?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng
There are three primary methods for testing trace elements in children: hair analysis, peripheral blood testing, and venous blood sampling. Although hair analysis is simple, its accuracy is relatively low, and it has gradually fallen out of use. Peripheral blood testing involves collecting blood from a finger prick and is more accurate than hair analysis, though it still has some margin of error. Venous blood sampling is currently the most accurate method; it involves drawing blood from a vein to measure trace element levels. This test does not require fasting and can be performed at any time. Trace element testing mainly includes zinc, iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, lead, and similar elements, aiming to help parents understand their child's trace element status and thereby assess the child's health. For children suspected of having trace element deficiencies, venous blood sampling is recommended.
