Daily zinc supplementation may reduce pneumonia in children in developing countries
- Rahman, Mohammad M. MD, DrPH
BACKGROUND
Low food intake, limited zinc bioavailability from local diets and diarrhoeal illnesses lead to zinc deficiencies in many developing countries. Zinc deficiency can impair immunological defences and increase the risk of infections. Lower respiratory tract infections are a common cause of death in children. The effect of zinc supplements on such infections remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of daily zinc supplementation on the incidence of acute lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia in children living in an urban slum.
SETTING
Slum community in New Delhi, India; February 1999 to September 2000.
METHOD
Double-blind randomised trial.
PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-four hundred and eighty-two children aged 6 months to 3 years.
INTERVENTION
After a single dose of vitamin A at enrolment (1,000,000 IU for infants and 200,000 IU for others), children received 4 months of elemental zinc or placebo (10 mg/day for infants and 20 mg/day for children older than 1 year).
OUTCOMES
Incidence of pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections.
MAIN RESULTS
After 4 months, the incidence of pneumonia was lower in the zinc group (absolute risk reduction 2.5%, 95% CI 0.4% to 4.6%; odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.99). There was no difference in lower respiratory tract infections (absolute risk reduction with zinc −0.2%, 95% CI −3.9% to 3.6%).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
After a large dose of vitamin A, daily zinc supplements may reduce the likelihood of pneumonia for children in developing countries.