There is no convincing evidence that zinc supplementation to infants or children results in improved motor or mental development
BACKGROUND Zinc deficiency is a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries .
Zinc is essential for the formation and migration of neurons along with the formation of neuronal synapses .
Its deficiency could interfere with the formation of neural pathways and with neurotransmission , thus affecting behavior ( for example , attention , activity , engagement , temperament ) and development ( for example , gross and fine motor skills , social skills ) .
Zinc supplementation provided to infants and children is a possible strategy to improve the mental and motor development of infants and children at high risk of zinc deficiency .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of zinc supplementation compared to placebo on measures of psychomotor development or cognitive function in children .
Zinc supplementation affects the activity patterns of rural Guatemalan infants.
Zinc deficiency has been associated with growth deficits , reduced dietary intake and appetite , and has been hypothesized to result in reduced activity . This r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study examined whether 10 mg of oral zinc as zinc sulfate , given daily for up to 7 mo , affected activity patterns of 85 Guatemalan infants recruited at 6 - 9 mo of age . Infant activity was assessed by time sampling-observation method at 10-min intervals during a 12-h data collection period , at base line , 3 and 7 mo follow-up . Motor development and the percentage of time infants were observed in various positions ( being carried , lying down , sitting , crawling , st and ing or walking ) and engaged in various activities ( eating , sleeping , resting , crying/whining or playing ) were compared by treatment group . No differences in motor development were observed by treatment group . However , at follow-up 2 ( after 7 mo of supplementation ) , zinc-supplemented infants were significantly more frequently observed sitting up compared with lying down , and were playing during 4.18 + /- 1.95 % ( P < 0.05 ) more observations than unsupplemented infants . They were also somewhat less likely to be observed crying or whining ( P < 0.10 ) compared with those receiving the placebo . These effects are independent of other factors including infant age , motor development , sex , maternal education , family socioeconomic status and nutritional status at base line . Further research must be conducted to determine the long-term developmental importance of these differences in activity patterns associated with zinc supplementation in this setting
There is no convincing evidence that zinc supplementation to infants or children results in improved motor or mental development
BACKGROUND Zinc deficiency is a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries .
Zinc is essential for the formation and migration of neurons along with the formation of neuronal synapses .
Its deficiency could interfere with the formation of neural pathways and with neurotransmission , thus affecting behavior ( for example , attention , activity , engagement , temperament ) and development ( for example , gross and fine motor skills , social skills ) .
Zinc supplementation provided to infants and children is a possible strategy to improve the mental and motor development of infants and children at high risk of zinc deficiency .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of zinc supplementation compared to placebo on measures of psychomotor development or cognitive function in children .