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Preparation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and the Evaluation of their Antibacterial Effects

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Published on: September 27, 2024

Zinc supplements for preventing otitis media.

Anjana Gulani¹, Harshpal S Sachdev

¹Department of Pediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi, India. gulani73@yahoo.com.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|April 20, 2012

Summary

Zinc supplements show mixed results for preventing otitis media (OM) in children. While some evidence suggests a benefit for malnourished infants, more research is needed for healthy children in low-income settings.

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Area of Science:

Pediatrics
Nutritional Science
Infectious Diseases

Background:

Otitis media (OM), a common middle ear infection, disproportionately affects young children and causes significant long-term hearing loss, particularly in low-income countries.
Given the established role of zinc in preventing pneumonia in disadvantaged children, its potential to prevent OM warrants investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in preventing otitis media (OM) across diverse age groups, including adults and children.

Main Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE) up to February 2012.
Included studies were randomized, placebo-controlled trials administering zinc supplements at least weekly for a minimum of one month.
Data extraction and analysis were performed independently by two reviewers, with results summarized using risk ratios and mean differences.

Main Results:

Twelve trials involving 6820 participants were identified; 10 contributed outcome data.
In healthy children from low-income communities, two trials found no significant difference in OM incidence between zinc and placebo groups.
One trial indicated a reduced OM incidence rate with zinc supplementation (RR 0.69), and a small trial suggested a benefit for malnourished infants (MD -1.12 episodes).

Conclusions:

The evidence regarding zinc supplementation's effectiveness in preventing OM in healthy children under five in low- and middle-income countries is inconclusive.
A potential benefit was observed in infants with severe malnutrition (marasmus), but this finding requires cautious interpretation due to the limited evidence from a single small trial.