Enteral nutrition through jejunostomy is a risk factor for copper deficiency.

Abstract

Copper deficiency is a relatively rare complication of enteral nutrition in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities. We report a patient with copper deficiency due to enteral nutrition through jejunostomy. He was found to have macrocytic anemia and neutropenia. Copper supplementation with cocoa was effective for improvement of the haematological abnormalities. Although his daily intake of copper was not particularly low compared with that in other gastric tube-fed patients, the serum copper concentration was significantly low. Since copper is usually absorbed in the stomach and the proximal duodenum under acidic condition, it is suggest that nutrition through the jejunostomy should be considered one of the risk factors for copper deficiency.