Zinc for babies and toddlers

Why zinc matters from 6 months

Zinc is a mineral children need to grow and develop. It also matters for wound healing and the senses of taste and smell (CDC, NHS).

For the first months, milk covers it. Then things change:

• Breast milk: zinc levels are high after birth and go down over the first 6 months (CDC). The NIH says breast milk alone isn’t enough to meet a baby’s zinc needs after 6 months, and that older breastfed babies should be given foods with zinc, such as puréed meats.
• Formula: infant formula contains zinc. The NIH says babies aged 7 to 12 months should have age-appropriate foods or formula that contains zinc alongside breast milk.

That’s why the AAP says to include foods that provide iron and zinc, such as baby food made with meat or iron-fortified cereal, once solids start. The same foods do both jobs: see iron-rich first foods.

How much zinc babies need

The NIH amounts per day are:

• Birth to 6 months: 2 mg
• 7 to 12 months: 3 mg
• 1 to 3 years: 3 mg

The CDC gives the same 3 mg a day for children aged 7 to 24 months. In the UK, the NHS gives adult figures (7 to 9.5 mg a day) and says most people get all the zinc they need from a varied diet.

The best zinc foods

The NIH says meat, fish and seafood are the richest sources, and that the body absorbs zinc from animal foods more easily than from plant foods. Good choices for babies and toddlers (CDC, NIH, NHS):

• Meat: beef, lamb, pork, turkey and chicken. For scale, a 3 oz (85 g) adult portion of beef has about 3.8 mg (NIH), so a few spoonfuls of minced beef give a baby a good share of their 3 mg.
• Fish and shellfish: cooked crab (about 3.2 mg per 3 oz, NIH) and canned sardines mashed with their soft bones (about 1.1 mg per 3 oz, NIH). Most other fish has less. Check fish for bones, and cook all seafood thoroughly.
• Beans and lentils: lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and hummus (AAP, NIH). They have less zinc than meat, and it’s harder to absorb.
• Dairy and eggs: plain full-fat yogurt, pasteurized cheese and well-cooked egg.
• Grains: zinc-fortified infant cereal (CDC) and oatmeal (about 2.3 mg per cooked cup, NIH).
• Seeds and nuts: ground pumpkin seeds stirred into food, or smooth peanut butter thinned and spread thinly (AAP lists nuts and pumpkin seeds). Never whole or chopped nuts or seeds before age 4.

Many of these are common allergens (fish, shellfish, egg, dairy, peanut, tree nut butters, soy in tofu and tempeh, sesame in hummus). Offer each one on its own first. See how to introduce allergens.

The NHS suggests young children have at least 2 portions a day of protein from plant sources (beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu) or 1 from animal sources (meat, fish, eggs). Doing that usually covers zinc too.

Oysters: a teaspoon is plenty

Oysters have more zinc than any other food: about 28 mg in 3 oz of cooked Pacific oysters (NIH), several times a toddler’s whole-day upper limit. That’s why the oysters page keeps fully cooked oysters to about a teaspoon now and then, and canned or smoked oysters to half a teaspoon from 12 months. Never give raw oysters: the oysters page explains why.

Plant-based families

Vegetarian and vegan children can get enough zinc, but it takes planning. Beans and grains contain phytates, which reduce how much zinc the body absorbs (NIH), and meat is a rich source that these diets leave out. The NIH says vegetarians usually have lower zinc intakes. To help:

• Offer zinc foods at every meal: beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, hummus, fortified cereal, ground pumpkin seeds and thinly spread nut butters (AAP, NIH).
• Soak beans, grains and seeds in water for several hours before cooking, which reduces the phytates (NIH). Canned and pre-cooked beans are another option.
• Fermented foods may help the body absorb a little more zinc (NIH). Tempeh is one.
• Include dairy and eggs if your family eats them.
• Ask about supplements before giving one. The NIH says vegetarians and vegans might benefit from a zinc supplement, but the dose needs to suit a baby. Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor first.

See vegetarian and vegan babies and vegetarian toddlers for B12, iron and the other nutrients to plan for.

No supplements unless advised

Most babies who eat a varied diet don’t need a zinc supplement. Too much zinc can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, headaches and loss of appetite, and over time it lowers copper levels (NIH). The NHS says high doses of zinc reduce how much copper the body absorbs, which can lead to anaemia and weaker bones.

The NIH upper limits, from food, drinks and supplements together, are:

• Birth to 6 months: 4 mg a day
• 7 to 12 months: 5 mg a day
• 1 to 3 years: 7 mg a day

These limits don’t apply when a doctor prescribes zinc for a medical reason (NIH).

• Check what’s already in a multivitamin. Almost all multivitamin and mineral supplements contain zinc (NIH). The UK routine drops for children contain vitamins A, C and D only (NHS).
• Keep all supplements out of reach. See vitamins for babies and toddlers for what to do if your child swallows supplements.

Signs to mention to your doctor

Zinc deficiency is uncommon where children eat a varied diet. The NIH says it can cause diarrhea, slow growth and loss of appetite in babies and children, but these signs have many other causes. Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if your child:

• isn’t growing or gaining weight as expected
• eats very little meat, fish, beans, dairy or fortified cereal
• has diarrhea that keeps coming back, or a poor appetite that lasts
• follows a vegan diet and you’d like help planning it

Where US and UK advice differs

• How much. The NIH and CDC set 3 mg a day for babies from 7 months and toddlers. The NHS pages give adult amounts only and say a varied diet should provide enough.
• Supplements. The NIH says vegetarians and vegans might benefit from a zinc supplement. The NHS says not to take more than 25 mg a day of zinc supplements unless a doctor advises it, an adult figure. For babies and toddlers, both point the same way: food first, and a supplement only on medical advice.