Efficacy of Zinc in Treating Early Infant Diarrhea

Previous research has proven the efficacy of zinc supplementation for the treatment of acute diarrhea in children ages 6 to 59 months (Bahl, R. et al, 2001). This study, conducted in India, Pakistan and Ethiopia, sought to assess the efficacy of zinc for the treatment of diarrhea in children less than 6 months of age. 

The study concluded that zinc supplementation:  

• had no effect on the duration or severity of the diarrhea episode 
• had no effect on subsequent growth
• had no effect on subsequent diarrhea or pneumonia morbidity 
• did not cause excess vomiting in this age group and there were no adverse reactions in these small babies 

These results are consistent with those observed in infants less than 6 months of age in Bangladesh, but are different from those observed in older children. In April 2006, the results of this study were presented at FASEB in San Francisco and the 3^rd International Zinc Conference in Dhaka.

Principal Investigator:  Robert E. Black (JHSPH)

Technical Advisors:   

• Olivier Fontaine (World Health Organization)
• Dilip Mahalanabis (Society for Applies Studies, India)

Project Coordinator:  Christa Fischer Walker (JHSPH)

Site Investigators: 

• Telehun Teka (Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Medicine, Ethiopia)
• Nita Bhandari (Society for Applied Studies, India)            
• Zulfiqar Bhutta (The Aga Khan University Medical Center, Pakistan)                                

Publications:

Fischer Walker CL, Bhutta ZA, Bhandari N, Teka T, Shahid F, Taneja S, Black RE. Zinc during and in convalescence from diarrhea has no demonstrable effect on subsequent morbidity and anthropometric status among infants <6 mo of age, Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):887-94.

Fischer Walker CL, Bhutta ZA, Bhandari N, Teka T, Shahid F, Taneja S, Black RE, Zinc Study Group. Zinc supplementation for the treatment of diarrhea in infants in Pakistan, India, and Ethiopia.  J Pediatr Gastroenterol and Nutr. 2006 Sep;43(3):357-63. 

References:

Bahl R, Baqui A, Bhan MK et al. Effect of zinc supplementation on clinical course of acute diarrhea. J Health Popul Nutr. 2001 Dec;19(4):338-46.