Zinc supplementation in acute diarrhea

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nutritional Science
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Acute diarrhea remains a significant health concern in children globally.
• Zinc deficiency is common in children experiencing diarrheal episodes.
• Zinc supplementation is a recommended intervention for acute diarrhea management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in reducing the duration of acute diarrhea in pediatric populations.
• To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on zinc's impact on diarrhea duration.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed across multiple databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data) up to June 2013.
• Inclusion criteria focused on RCTs investigating zinc supplementation for acute diarrhea in children; reviews were excluded.
• Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.2 software, with heterogeneity assessed using standard methods.

Main Results:

• Eight RCTs involving 860 participants met the inclusion criteria.
• Meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in diarrhea duration with zinc supplementation (WMD: -14.47 hours, 95% CI: -25.06 to -3.89).
• Significant heterogeneity was observed among the included studies, persisting even after sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

Conclusions:

• Zinc supplementation is effective in decreasing the duration of acute diarrhea in children.
• High heterogeneity among studies necessitates further rigorous research with standardized methodologies and populations for definitive conclusions.