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Effect of mode of delivery of additional zinc (included in either a vitamin supplement or a fortified cereal porridge) on growth, morbidity and plasma zinc concentrations of young Peruvian children
Author(s) -
Brown K H,
de Romaña D Lopez,
Arsenault J E,
Peerson J M,
Penny M E
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a558
Subject(s) - zinc , micronutrient , zoology , fortification , medicine , chemistry , vitamin , food science , biology , organic chemistry , pathology
The effect of mode of delivery of additional zinc intake is unknown. We compared the physical growth, morbidity, and micronutrient status of 6–8 mo old Peruvian children with initial length‐for‐age Z‐score, LAZ, <‐0.50 who were randomly assigned to receive daily for 6 mo: 1) an iron‐fortified cereal porridge (CP) and a separate aqueous multi‐vitamin (MV) supplement between meals (control, grp C); 2) the same CP and MV with 3 mg zinc added to the supplement dose (grp ZSu); or 3) CP with added zinc (3 mg/20g dry weight) and MV (grp ZFo). 17% of children had low initial plasma zinc concentration (<64 mg/dL); mean initial values did not vary by study grp. Overall, children consumed a mean of 22–26 g/d dry CP and 96% of possible MV doses. After adjusting for small baseline differences in SES and morbidity, there were no group‐wise post‐treatment differences in weight or length increments, even among the sub‐group with initial LAZ<‐1.5; and there were no differences in rates of common illnesses. Mean plasma zinc concentration increased in grp ZSu (+3.0 mg/dL), decreased in grp C (‐3.0 mg/dL), and did not change significantly in grp ZFo (group‐wise p<0.001). In conclusion, children’s final plasma zinc concentration increased only with ZSu, but neither form of zinc affected growth or morbidity rates, possibly because the children were not zinc deficient or the amount of additional zinc was inadequate. Possible modifying effects of treatment are being explored. Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation