Effect of zinc supplementation on morbidity and growth in hospital-born, low-birth-weight infants.

Study answer

What this study found

Daily zinc supplementation did not meaningfully reduce diarrhea, acute lower respiratory infections, or improve weight and length outcomes over 12 months. The clearest effect was biochemical: 12-month plasma zinc was 100.2 6 41.9 vs 73.3 6 22.5 lg/dL, a difference of 26.9 lg/dL (95% CI 19.6 to 34.2), and zinc deficiency decreased to 12.6% vs 24.4% (difference -11.8%; 95% CI -20 to -3.4; P < 0.005). Care-seeking for illness was lower at 9 months (difference -5.7%; 95% CI -9.9 to -1.4), but deaths were similar (21 vs 19). The authors concluded that RDA-level zinc did not confer substantial…

Study & population

Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in hospital-born term low-birth-weight infants in urban New Delhi, India.

Intervention

Oral elemental zinc as zinc sulfate was given daily at 5 mg/d from enrollment (age 2-4 weeks) through 6 months, then 10 mg/d from >6 months through 12 months.

Key limitation

The trial was limited to mostly breastfed, hospital-born term low-birth-weight infants from one urban Indian setting, which limits generalizability.

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Original abstract