Pediatric Nutrition in Practice

1 Specific Aspects of Childhood Nutrition

Key Words

Vitamins · Trace elements · Deficiency · Excess ·

Growth · Complementary food

Key Messages

• There are 22 essential micronutrients – 13 vitamins
  (4 fat soluble and 9 water soluble) and 9 trace ele-
  ments – to be obtained from a diet to satisfy nutri-
  ent requirements


• In addition to insufficient intake from the diet, inhi-
  bition of intestinal uptake, impairment of nutrient
  utilization, enhanced destruction of vitamins and
  increased nutrient wastage can produce micronu-
  trient deficiencies, alone or in combination


• Biofortification, consisting of developing improved
  varieties of staple foods, fruits and vegetables, is an
  emerging approach to increasing the micronutrient
  supply in at-risk populations in developing countries


• The weaning period presents an enhanced risk of
  inadequate micronutrient intake and deficiency,
  and fortification of complementary feeding is a
  practical and important option


• However, the balancing and monitoring of micro-
  nutrient fortification in food supply is essential as
  the risk of overconsumption of selected micronutri-
  ents such as iron, vitamin A and folic acid is latent
  when public health and commercial fortification ef-
  forts combine in a given setting
  © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

Introduction

From infancy through late adolescence, a series of

13 organic compounds (the vitamins, 4 soluble in

lipids and 9 soluble in water) are essential for nutri-

tion and health. Likewise, there is relative consen-

sus that 9 inorganic elements found at low concen-

trations in the body (the trace elements) are benefi-

cial or essential for the maintenance of the structure

and function of the human body. The amounts to

be consumed with the diet on a day-to-day basis by

healthy juveniles have been established in relation

to their age and gender. Diseases can lead to an ad-

ditional demand for these so-called micronutri-

ents. Deficiencies in vitamins and trace elements

occur because of insufficient dietary intake or

through environmental or pathological challenges.

A list of the vitamins and trace elements of interest

in this discussion is provided in table 1.

Sources of Micronutrients for Human

Consumption

The vitamins and minerals needed by the body

can come from three basic sources: the first is fun-

damentally based on the primary production of

Koletzko B, et al. (eds): Pediatric Nutrition in Practice. World Rev Nutr Diet. Basel, Karger, 2015, vol 113, pp 62–67
DOI: 10.1159/000367871

1.3 Nutritional Needs

1.3.7 Vitamins and Trace Elements

Noel W. Solomons