title: Does mild zinc deficiency contribute to poor growth performance?
abstract: Zinc promotes growth in severely malnourished children, and mild zinc deficiency may limit growth in otherwise healthy children. An intervention study involving children aged six to seven years from a poor area of Guatemala failed to show beneficial effects of zinc on height and weight gain, although body fat status was increased. Further studies are needed to clarify the influence of mild zinc deficiency on growth.
authors.affiliation: MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prentice
mesh_terms: D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc