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 deficiency in anorexia nervosa.
Adolescents with anorexia nervosa were evaluated for clinical and biochemical evidence of  zinc  deficiency . To assess whether these patients would benefit from zinc supplementation , a double-blind , r and omized , controlled trial was conducted . The mean zinc intake of the anorexic group calculated on the basis of three-day dietary records was 7.7 + /- 5.2 mg/day , which is significantly below the recommended daily allowance of 15 mg for adolescents ( p less than 0.001 ) . The mean urinary zinc excretion in the anorexic group was 257.1 + /- 212.7 micrograms/24 hours compared to 749.9 + /- 897.8 micrograms/24 hours in the control group ( p less than 0.005 ) . This result suggests that the zinc status of anorexia nervosa patients may be compromised due to an inadequate zinc intake . Zinc supplementation ( 50 mg elemental zinc/day ) was followed by a decrease in the level of depression and anxiety as assessed by the Zung Depression Scale ( p less than 0.05 ) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( p less than 0.05 ) , respectively . Our data suggest that individuals with anorexia nervosa may be at risk for zinc deficiency and may respond favorably after zinc supplementation
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 .