Background. Zinc deficiency occurs in infants when its demand exceeds its supply. It presents with cutaneous signs which, in severe\ncases, are associated with diarrhea, alopecia, and irritability. Genetic and acquired forms of zinc deficiency have been reported and\noften overlap clinical features. Malnutrition, prematurity, malabsorption syndromes, and burns may cause an increased demand\nfor zinc. Methods. Cases of acquired transient infantile zinc deficiency (TIZD) observed during a period of 3 years at Ayder Referral\nHospital ofMekelle,Northern Ethiopia, are reported here. Since no sophisticated testswere available at our center, the diagnosis was\nbased on the clinical signs and prompt response to oral zinc supplementation. Results.We observed 18 cases of TIZD at our center. All\npatients were full-term and breastfeeding infants with no relevant associated diseases. Conclusions. In this region, a high incidence\nof this condition is observed.We could not rule out whether heterozygosity for the geneticmutation was present or that the disease\nwas caused by a nutritional deficiency in the mothers or more probably because both the factors coexisted together. However,\nfurther studies are necessary to better understand the causes of the increased incidence of this disease in Northern Ethiopia.
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