The effect of supplemental zinc on the height and weight percentiles of children.
BACKGROUND
Considering the high incidence of low weight and short stature among Iranian children as well as the high prevalence of both mild and moderate types of zinc deficiency, this study was conducted among patients who were referred to the Pediatric Clinic at Massih Daneshvari Hospital during 1997 - 1999. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of zinc supplementation on the children's height and weight percentiles.


METHODS
Age, sex, and height and weight percentiles before and after administration of zinc were determined and recorded. The zinc supplement used in this project was in the form of a zinc sulfate solution in 0.1% and 0.5% concentrations. The dose was the upper limit of a tolerable dose, which was given in three divided doses per day. The serum zinc level was measured with the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. The effect of age, sex, and initial serum zinc level on the percentile changes were determined.


RESULTS
This study was conducted on 42 children with equal distribution of gender (21 male and 21 female patients). The mean age was 4.9 +/- 4.1 years. Means of height and weight were 101.8 +/- 23 cm and 16.5 +/- 8.1 kg, respectively. The initial serum zinc level was 85.1 +/- 31.6 microg/dL. The duration of zinc administration was 3.2 +/- 2.6 months. The subjects were followed for a minimum of one month to a maximum of 10 months. The percentage of children with weight and height percentiles below the 50th percentile was reduced from 69% to 54% (P < 0.05) and from 50% to 33% (P < 0.01), respectively. Also, it was noted that children with low serum zinc levels demonstrated greater percentile changes.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that supplemental zinc increases height and weight percentiles.
Hakimi
Seyed-Mohammad
SM
Zinc Research Unit, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hakimi@nritld.ac.ir
Hashemi
Forough
F
Valaeei
Naser
N
Seyed-Masood
Kimiagar
K
Velayati
Ali-Akbar
AA
Boloursaz
Mohammad-Reza
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D015032:Zinc