The aim of this study was to determine whether iron deficiency (ID) is associated with zinc deficiency. One hundred patients with ID and/or iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 100 healthy controls aged 6 months to 18 years who were examined at Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Pediatric Outpatient Clinic were included prospectively. The association between zinc levels and hematological and biochemical parameters was examined. Serum zinc levels were lower in cases compared to controls, and the difference was statistically significant. Zinc deficiency was more frequent in children with ID and/or IDA (9.2%) than in controls (1%). There was no correlation between zinc levels and hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Htc), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), ferritin, or total iron binding capacity (TIBC). However, there was a positive correlation between zinc levels and iron and transferrin saturation index (TSI). In our study, we detected significantly lower zinc levels in children with ID before the onset of clinical and laboratory findings of anemia.

Keywords: demir eksikliği, anemi, çinko eksikliği.