Zinc and childhood infections: From the laboratory to new treatment recommendations

Abstract

Zinc is an essential nutrient particularly important for growing children and for those who experience frequent infections. Many children in developing countries have inadequate zinc nutrition that impairs their immune system. Diarrhea and pneumonia are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children of low-income countries. Zinc deficiency increases the susceptibility to these infections and administration of zinc to children with diarrhea and, possibly, pneumonia speeds up recovery. Furthermore, zinc given to otherwise healthy children also reduces the incidence of diarrhea and pneumonia. Thus, thousands of lives can be saved every year by giving zinc to prevent childhood infections or by providing zinc to children with ongoing infections. This paper gives a brief outline of the history of zinc research and reviews existing evidence from clinical trials on the prophylactic and therapeutic effect of oral zinc on childhood pneumonia and diarrhea.