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 and psychosocial stimulation: effects on the development of undernourished Jamaican children.
BACKGROUND Undernourished children have poor levels of development that benefit from stimulation . Zinc deficiency is prevalent in undernourished children and may contribute to their poor development . OBJECTIVE We assessed the effects of zinc supplementation and psychosocial stimulation given together or separately on the psychomotor development of undernourished children . DESIGN This was a r and omized controlled trial with 4 groups : stimulation alone , zinc supplementation alone , both interventions , and control ( routine care only ) .  Subjects were 114 children aged 9 - 30 mo and below -1.5 z scores of the National Center for Health Statistics weight-for-age references who were recruited from 18 health clinics . Clinics were r and omly assigned to receive stimulation or not ; individual children were r and omly assigned to receive zinc or placebo . The stimulation program comprised weekly home visits during which play was demonstrated and maternal-child interactions were encouraged . The supplementation was 10 mg Zn as sulfate daily or placebo .  Development ( assessed by use of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales ) , length , and weight were measured at baseline and 6 mo later . Weekly morbidity histories were taken . RESULTS Significant interactions were found between zinc supplementation and stimulation . Zinc benefited the developmental quotient only in children who received stimulation , and benefits from zinc to h and and eye coordination were greater in stimulated children . Zinc supplementation alone improved h and and eye coordination , and stimulation alone benefited the developmental quotient , hearing and speech , and performance . Zinc supplementation also reduced diarrheal morbidity but did not significantly improve growth . CONCLUSION Zinc supplementation benefits development in undernourished children , and the benefits are enhanced if stimulation is also provided
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 .