Research published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine (March 2014;5(3):280–286) examined whether zinc supplementation could improve growth in young children living in areas of Iran where moderate malnutrition is common.
The study included 838 children under the age of two. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or 5 mg of elemental zinc daily for three months. All children—393 in the zinc group and 445 in the control group—also received iron supplementation and either a multivitamin or vitamins A and D.
Anthropometric measurements were taken at baseline and monthly throughout the study. Children receiving zinc supplementation showed a greater increase in linear growth, growing an average of 0.5 cm more than children in the control group. Zinc supplementation did not significantly affect weight gain.
The authors concluded, “Oral zinc supplementation was found to be both practical and effective in increasing linear growth rate of children less than 2 years of age through primary health care.”
