Copper Deficiency with Cow's Milk Diet

Abstract

A 6-month-old full-term infant had severe anemia and neutropenia. The patient was being fed cow's milk and a diet of corn flour. Thorough investigation revealed low serum iron concentration, severe hypocupremia, low ceruloplasmin, retardation of bone age, and metaphysial irregularities and spurring. Bone marrow aspirate revealed cytoplasmic vacuolization in precursors of the erythroid and myeloid series and ringed sideroblasts. Therapy with oral iron, folic acid, and vitamin C was futile. Administration of copper sulfate resulted in brisk increase in neutrophils and reticulocytes. The child maintained normal levels of hemoglobin, neutrophils, serum copper and ceruloplasmin, and serum iron one year after copper therapy was discontinued. The probable role of unrecognized copper deficiency in causing anemia in infants more than 6 months of age is discussed, and the importance of serum copper examination in refractory iron deficiency anemia and neutropenia is stressed. To the best of our knowledge, no such case has previously been described in the literature.