| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Original Research Communication |
1 From the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B): Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh (SJMO, MAW, and GJF); the Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands (SJMO and JMAR); the Department of International Health, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore (MS and REB); and the Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans (GJF).
Background: Evidence for an effect of zinc supplementation on growth and morbidity in very young infants in developing countries is scarce and inconsistent.
Objective: We assessed the effect of zinc supplementation on growth and morbidity in poor Bangladeshi infants aged 4–24 wk.
Design: Infants from Dhaka slums were enrolled at 4 wk of age and randomly assigned to receive 5 mg elemental Zn/d (n = 152) or placebo (n = 149) until 24 wk of age. They were followed weekly for information on compliance and morbidity; anthropometric measurements were performed monthly. Serum zinc was assessed at baseline and at 24 wk of age.
Results: At 24 wk of age, serum zinc concentrations were higher in the zinc than in the placebo group (13.3 ± 3.8 and 10.7 ± 2.9 µmol/L, respectively; P < 0.001). Significantly greater weight gains were observed in the zinc than in the placebo group for 43 infants who were zinc deficient (< 9.18 µmol/L) at baseline (3.15 ± 0.77 and 2.66 ± 0.80 kg, respectively; P < 0.04). In the other infants, no significant differences were observed in mean weight and length gains during the study period. Zinc-deficient infants showed a reduced risk of incidence of acute lower respiratory infection after zinc supplementation (relative risk: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.92); among the non-zinc-deficient infants there were no significant differences between treatment groups.
Conclusions: Zinc-deficient Bangladeshi infants showed improvements in growth rate and a reduced incidence of acute lower respiratory infection after zinc supplementation. In infants with serum zinc concentrations > 9.18 µmol/L, supplementation improved only biochemical zinc status.
Key Words: Zinc supplementation • infants • morbidity • growth • Bangladesh
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  U. Ramakrishnan, P. Nguyen, and R. Martorell Effects of micronutrients on growth of children under 5 y of age: meta-analyses of single and multiple nutrient interventions Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2009; 89(1): 191 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. L. Coles, J. B. Sherchand, S. K. Khatry, J. Katz, S. C. LeClerq, L. C. Mullany, and J. M. Tielsch Zinc Modifies the Association between Nasopharyngeal Streptococcus pneumoniae Carriage and Risk of Acute Lower Respiratory Infection among Young Children in Rural Nepal J. Nutr., December 1, 2008; 138(12): 2462 - 2467. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. L Iannotti, N. Zavaleta, Z. Leon, A. H Shankar, and L. E Caulfield Maternal zinc supplementation and growth in Peruvian infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2008; 88(1): 154 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Aggarwal, J. Sentz, and M. A. Miller Role of Zinc Administration in Prevention of Childhood Diarrhea and Respiratory Illnesses: A Meta-analysis Pediatrics, June 1, 2007; 119(6): 1120 - 1130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. L F. Walker, Z. A Bhutta, N. Bhandari, T. Teka, F. Shahid, S. Taneja, R. E Black, and the Zinc Study Group Zinc during and in convalescence from diarrhea has no demonstrable effect on subsequent morbidity and anthropometric status among infants <6 mo of age Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2007; 85(3): 887 - 894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. F Krebs and K M. Hambidge Complementary feeding: clinically relevant factors affecting timing and composition Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, February 1, 2007; 85(2): 639S - 645S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M J. Heinig, K. H Brown, B. Lonnerdal, and K. G Dewey Zinc supplementation does not affect growth, morbidity, or motor development of US term breastfed infants at 4-10 mo of age. Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2006; 84(3): 594 - 601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. G. Dewey, R. J. Cohen, and K. H. Brown Exclusive Breast-Feeding for 6 Months, with Iron Supplementation, Maintains Adequate Micronutrient Status among Term, Low-Birthweight, Breast-Fed Infants in Honduras J. Nutr., May 1, 2004; 134(5): 1091 - 1098. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
