Zinc added in Different Amounts to Small-quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) or provided as a Tablet did not affect Diarrhea or Malaria Morbidity in young, Rural Burkinabe Children
Jérôme W. Somé *
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA and Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/DRO, Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet, Burkina Faso.
Souheila Abbeddou
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
Zinéwendé P. Ouédraogo
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/DRO, Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet, Burkina Faso.
Rosemonde M. Guissou
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/DRO, Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet, Burkina Faso.
Janet M. Peerson
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Sonja Y. Hess
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Steve A. Vosti
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Jean-Bosco Ouédraogo
Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé/DRO, Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet, Burkina Faso.
Kenneth H. Brown
University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Objectives: Meta-analyses find that supplemental zinc reduces the incidence of diarrhea and acute lower respiratory tract infections, but its effect on malaria is inconsistent. We assessed the effects of different amounts of zinc in SQ-LNS compared with zinc in a dispersible tablet on the incidence of diarrhea and malaria in young children in a community-based, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized trial in rural, southwestern Burkina Faso.
Methods: 2469 children 9 months of age, were assigned to receive one of four interventions: LNS without zinc and placebo tablet (LNS-Zn0; negative control), LNS with 5 mg zinc and placebo tablet (LNS-Zn5), LNS with 10 mg zinc and placebo tablet (LNS-Zn 10) and LNS without zinc and 5 mg zinc tablet (LNS-TabZn5; positive control). Children received 20 g of LNS and one placebo or zinc tablet daily for 9 months. Weekly morbidity surveillance was conducted at children's homes; malaria treatment was provided for confirmed malaria, and ORS provided for reported diarrhea.
Results: Prevalence of malaria at baseline (59.4% overall) did not differ among groups. During the 9-month follow-up, the incidence of diarrhea was 1.15 (±1.18 SD) and the incidence of malaria was 0.55 (±0.54 SD) episodes per 100 child-days, and did not differ by treatment group (p=0.673 and p=0.535, respectively). Incidence of severe diarrhea and severe malaria also did not differ by treatment group.
Conclusions: The inclusion of 5 or 10 mg zinc in SQ-LNS did not affect diarrhea or malaria morbidity compared to both positive and negative control groups in this population.