Introduction: Respiratory diseases are widespread among children and have a large share in the structure of overall morbidity, especially pneumonia. Macro- and microelements play a leading role in the effective functioning of the immune system and the maintenance of the biological balance of the organism. The resistance of the child’s body to acute infectious diseases also depends on the supply of trace elements.

Aim: To study the concentration of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the serum of todlers with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the dynamics of the disease.

Materials and methods: We examined 21 children (aged 1–3 years) who were hospitalized with CAP in the infectious unit No. 1 of St. Zinaida Sumy City Children’s Hospital. 18 apparently healthy children of appropriate age and gender composed the control group. Determination of the level of microelements in the blood serum was performed by the method of absorption spectrophotometry on the 1^st or 2^nd day of hospitalization and in the period of abatement of clinical manifestations of the disease (12-14^th day).

Results: At the onset of the disease, Zn level decreased significantly (р < 0,001), and Cu level increased (p <0.001) in comparison with the control group. The levels of Fe (p> 0.05) and Mn (p> 0.05) did not differ from the data in the control group. After the standard therapy, in sick children, the content of Cu decreased (p <0.05), and Zn increased (p <0.05), but did not reach the indicators of almost healthy children. In the dynamics of the treatment, the levels of iron and manganese did not differ from the data in the control group (p> 0.05).

Conclusions. To summarize, it is necessary to take into consideration the existing violations of micronutrient composition in toddlers with CAP, which are involved in the pathogenetic structure of the disease, which require the development of adequate preventive and curative rehabilitation measures.