BACKGROUND: Children are at particular risk for selenium deficiency, which has potentially serious medical implications. Reliable age-specific reference values for serum selenium concentrations in children are sparse, but are essential for the identification of selenium deficiency and decisions regarding selenium supplementation. METHODS: Using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, we analyzed serum selenium concentrations from 1010 apparently healthy children (age range, 1 day to 18 years) and from 60 patients on a protein-restricted diet because of inborn errors of metabolism. Reference intervals were defined according to recommended guidelines. RESULTS: Medians for serum selenium concentrations showed a statistically significant age dependency: a decrease from the age <1 month (0.64 micromol/L) to 4 months (0.44 micromol/L); an increase to 0.62 micromol/L in the 4-12 months age group; constant values in children between 1 and 5 years of age (0.90 micromol/L); and an additional slight increase to reach a plateau between 5 and 18 years (0.99 micromol/L). Of 43 children older than 1 year and on a protein-restricted diet, 87% showed serum selenium concentrations below the 2.5 percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Because of nutritional changes, serum selenium concentrations are significantly higher in older children than in infants under 1 year of age. The application of age-adjusted reference values may provide more specific criteria for selenium supplementation. Long-term protein restriction in children is reflected by a failure to achieve higher serum selenium concentrations with increasing age.
BACKGROUND:Children are at particular risk for seleniumdeficiency, which has potentially serious medical implications. Reliable age-specific reference values for serum selenium concentrations in children are sparse, but are essential for the identification of seleniumdeficiency and decisions regarding selenium supplementation. METHODS: Using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, we analyzed serum selenium concentrations from 1010 apparently healthy children (age range, 1 day to 18 years) and from 60 patients on a protein-restricted diet because of inborn errors of metabolism. Reference intervals were defined according to recommended guidelines. RESULTS: Medians for serum selenium concentrations showed a statistically significant age dependency: a decrease from the age <1 month (0.64 micromol/L) to 4 months (0.44 micromol/L); an increase to 0.62 micromol/L in the 4-12 months age group; constant values in children between 1 and 5 years of age (0.90 micromol/L); and an additional slight increase to reach a plateau between 5 and 18 years (0.99 micromol/L). Of 43 children older than 1 year and on a protein-restricted diet, 87% showed serum selenium concentrations below the 2.5 percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Because of nutritional changes, serum selenium concentrations are significantly higher in older children than in infants under 1 year of age. The application of age-adjusted reference values may provide more specific criteria for selenium supplementation. Long-term protein restriction in children is reflected by a failure to achieve higher serum selenium concentrations with increasing age.
Authors: Valerie L Flax; Margaret E Bentley; Gerald F Combs; Charles S Chasela; Dumbani Kayira; Gerald Tegha; Debbie Kamwendo; Eric J Daza; Ali Fokar; Athena P Kourtis; Denise J Jamieson; Charles M van der Horst; Linda S Adair Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2014-02-05 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Fu-Ying Tian; Todd M Everson; Barry Lester; Tracy Punshon; Brian P Jackson; Ke Hao; Corina Lesseur; Jia Chen; Margaret R Karagas; Carmen J Marsit Journal: Environ Int Date: 2020-01-31 Impact factor: 9.621
Authors: Hosny M A El-Masry; Abdelrahim A Sadek; Mohammed H Hassan; Hesham H Ameen; Hosny A Ahmed Journal: Metab Brain Dis Date: 2018-06-09 Impact factor: 3.584