Mom of a 4 month old exclusively breastfed infant called stating she and infant have low zinc levels. She asked if she should stop breastfeeding or supplement with formula to increase infant's zinc levels? 

Infant's record shows: 
excema and seborrhea capitis - several creams tried without much improvement
Several lab results were abnormal including:
elevated IgE, Low H&H, high platelets
Infant is gaining weight fine. Mom has frozen EBM but states infant won't take a bottle.
She has referrals to genetics, endocrinology, and dermatology.
Mom has been instructed to take a Zinc supplement that provides 100% RDA daily.

In Marsha Walker's Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician (my briefened version):
"Zinc in breastmilk is more efficiently utilized than in formula or cow's milk.
Zinc bioavailability from soy formula is considerably lower than from milk based formula
In rare cases, reastfed infants experience such a deficiency usually due to defective zinc uptake by the mammary gland.
Human milk has therapeutic value in treating infants suffering from hereditary zinc deficiency disease called acrodermatitis enteropathica, whereas cow's milk and formulas do not. 

I plan to get info on dietary sources of Zinc for mom.
Sounds like, of course, continuing to breastfeed is best for this baby.
I can copy the above info from Marsha's book for mom.

Any suggestions appreciated:

Kris Nilson BSN RN IBCLC
Georgia

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