Zinc Supplementation in Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• In vitro studies suggest oral zinc reduces bilirubin levels.
• Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on zinc for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia show conflicting results.
• A need exists to consolidate evidence on zinc's efficacy in managing neonatal jaundice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the effects of oral zinc supplementation on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
• To assess zinc's impact on bilirubin levels, phototherapy, and adverse events.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and clinical registries was performed.
• Seventeen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1565 neonates were included.
• A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using the Risk of Bias Version 2 tool.

Main Results:

• Oral zinc supplementation significantly reduced the duration of phototherapy by an average of 8.6 hours (low certainty).
• No significant differences were found in the incidence of significant hyperbilirubinemia or the need for phototherapy (very low certainty).
• No differences were observed in adverse events or hospital stay duration.

Conclusions:

• Oral zinc supplementation shows potential in reducing phototherapy duration for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
• Current evidence suggests zinc does not significantly alter other critical outcomes in neonatal jaundice management.