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Published on: February 15, 2018
Zinc supplements in breastfed infants
P A Walravens1, A Chakar, R Mokni
1Unité 1, INSERM, Paris, France.
Lancet (London, England)
|September 19, 1992
Summary
Zinc supplementation significantly improved linear growth and weight gain in breastfed infants experiencing growth faltering. This suggests that inadequate zinc intake contributes to growth issues in some breastfed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Human Growth and Development
Background:
- Growth faltering is common in breastfed infants globally.
- The role of nutritional zinc deficiency in this phenomenon requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if zinc supplementation can improve growth parameters in breastfed infants with growth faltering.
- To assess the impact of zinc deficiency on infant growth velocity.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 57 breastfed infants aged 4-9 months.
- Infants received either 5 mg of zinc daily or a placebo for 3 months.
- Growth parameters (length, weight, Z-scores) were measured before and after supplementation.
Main Results:
- Zinc supplementation led to a significant increase in length-for-age Z-scores compared to placebo (+0.21 vs -0.13, p=0.029).
- Greater linear growth was observed in boys receiving zinc (6.0 cm vs 4.6 cm, p=0.02).
- Weight gain was significantly higher in the zinc group (1.64 kg vs 1.28 kg, p=0.047).
Conclusions:
- Zinc supplementation can effectively improve linear growth and weight gain in breastfed infants with growth faltering.
- Inadequate zinc intake may contribute to decreased growth velocity in infants breastfed for over 4 months.
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