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Evidence summaries

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Children's Growth

Zinc supplementation improves children's growth in settings with high rates of stunting and/or low plasma zinc concentrations. Level of evidence: "A"

A systematic review 1 including 33 studies (21 double-blind RCTs) with a total of 2, 945 subjects was abstracted in DARE. The duration of the studies was from 2 to 15 months, number of participants from 21 to 210, and age of participants from birth to 10 years (mean: 3.1).

Zinc supplementation produced significant positive responses in both height and weight increments, with effect sizes of 0.350 (95% CI: 0.189, 0.511) and 0.309 (95% CI: 0.178, 0.439), respectively. Heterogeneity was found for all three key variables: height, weight and serum zinc concentration. There was no significant effect of zinc on weight-for-height indexes (weighted mean effect size -0.018, 95% CI: -0.132, 0.097). There was a large increase in serum zinc concentration (effect size 0.820, 95% CI: 0.499, 1.14). Growth responses were greater in children aged above 6 months with a low initial height-for-age z score, and for those with a low initial weight-for-age z score.

    References

    • Brown KH, Peerson JM, Rivera J, Allen LH. Effect of supplemental zinc on the growth and serum zinc concentrations of prepubertal children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Jun;75(6):1062-71. [PubMed] [DARE]

Primary/Secondary Keywords