title: Zinc supplementation for the treatment of measles in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measles is still an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally, despite increasing vaccine coverage. Zinc plays a significant role in the maintenance of normal immunological functions, therefore supplements given to zinc-deficient children will increase the availability of zinc and could reduce measles-related morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of zinc supplementation in reducing morbidity and mortality in children with measles.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched CENTRAL (2014, Issue 5), MEDLINE (1946 to June week 3, 2014), EMBASE (1974 to June 2014), CINAHL (1981 to June 2014), LILACS (1982 to June 2014), Web of Science (1985 to June 2014) and BIOSIS Previews (1985 to June 2014). We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) to identify unpublished and ongoing studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs evaluating the effects of zinc in reducing morbidity and mortality in children with measles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two review authors independently assessed the studies for inclusion and extracted data on outcomes, details of the interventions and other study characteristics using a standardised data extraction form. We used the risk ratio (RR) and hazard ratio as measures of effect with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included only one study and we did not conduct any meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One RCT met our inclusion criteria. The study was conducted in India and included 85 children diagnosed with measles and pneumonia. The trial showed that there was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (risk ratio (RR) 0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 8.14). Also, there was no significant difference in time to absence of fever between the two groups (hazard ratio (HR) 1.08, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.74). No treatment-related side effects were reported in either group. The overall quality of the evidence can be described as very low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We cannot draw any definite conclusions from this review about the effects of zinc supplementation on clinical outcomes of children with measles due to the very low quality of the evidence available. There is insufficient evidence to confirm or refute the effect of zinc supplementation in measles.
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
authors: Ajibola A
authors: AA
authors: Awotiwon
authors: Olabisi
authors: O
authors: Oduwole
authors: Anju
authors: A
authors: Sinha
authors: Charles I
authors: CI
authors: Okwundu
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000628:therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc