Conclusions : Many of the children in the included studies were already stunted and may have been suffering from multiple micronutrient deficiencies , and therefore zinc supplementation alone may have only a limited effect on growth
Background / objectives : It is estimated that zinc deficiency affects 17 % of the world 's population , and because of periods of rapid growth children are at an increased risk of deficiency , which may lead to stunting .
This paper presents a systematic review and meta- analysis of the r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) that assess zinc intake and growth in children aged 1–8 years .
Growth and body composition of periurban Guatemalan children in relation to zinc status: a longitudinal zinc intervention trial.
Changes in growth , body composition , and zinc indexes were evaluated after 25 wk in a double-blind zinc-supplementation study of 162 periurban Guatemalan children aged 81.5 + /- 7.0 mo ( mean + /- SD ) . Children receiving the zinc supplement ( 10 mg Zn/d as amino acid chelate ) for 90.1 + /- 9.2 d had higher mean fasting plasma zinc ( 16.2 + /- 2.9 vs 14.9 + /- 2.1 mumol/L , P < 0.01 ) , a greater increase in median triceps skinfold Z score ( 0.50 vs 0.38 , P < 0.05 ) , and a smaller deficit in median midarm circumference ( MAC ) Z score ( -0.03 vs -0.20 , P < 0.05 ) compared with the placebo group . Initial hair zinc classified as < 1.68 and > 1.68 mumol/g was the only laboratory variable that explained some of the variance in final Z scores of midarm-muscle area ( P < 0.05 ) and MAC ( P < 0.01 ) . Children responded to the zinc supplement with changes in indexes of body composition rather than growth
Conclusions : Many of the children in the included studies were already stunted and may have been suffering from multiple micronutrient deficiencies , and therefore zinc supplementation alone may have only a limited effect on growth
Background / objectives : It is estimated that zinc deficiency affects 17 % of the world 's population , and because of periods of rapid growth children are at an increased risk of deficiency , which may lead to stunting .
This paper presents a systematic review and meta- analysis of the r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) that assess zinc intake and growth in children aged 1–8 years .