title: Serum zinc levels in hospitalized children with acute lower respiratory infections in the north-central region of Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Macronutrient deficiency has continued to attract significant research interest, where as the import of micronutrients like zinc has only recently become the focus of interest. Thus against the background of a dearth of data on zinc levels in Nigerian children with Acute Lower Respiratory Infection (ALRI), this study was carried out in Ilorin, Nigeria to determine the serum zinc levels in hospitalized children with ALRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative cross-sectional hospital based study involving 120 children aged two months to five years with ALRI recruited as subjects, and 120 age-appropriate controls without ALRI was carried out. Socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained. The serum zinc was analyzed with a Jenway™ spectrophotometer after an initial preparation with the QuantiChrom™ zinc assay kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The male/ female ratio was 1.6:1. The mean (SD) serum zinc level in subjects with ALRI of 18.7(11.8)µg/dl was significantly lower than the corresponding value of 53.1(18.5)µg/dl recorded in the controls, p=0.001. The prevalence of 98.3% for low serum zinc levels recorded in children with ALRI was significantly higher than that recorded in controls of 64.2%, p=0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low serum zinc levels are significantly associated with ALRI. There is a need to determine whether hospitalized children managed for ALRI might benefit from post discharge zinc supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Rasheedat Mobolaji
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ibraheem
authors.affiliation: (Pulmonology & Infectious Disease), Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: AbdulWahab Babatunde Rotimi
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Paediatrics/Consultant (Adolescent Medicine, Pulmonology & Infectious Disease), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aishatu Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdulkarim
authors.affiliation: Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Department of Chemical Pathology and Immunology, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sikiru A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Biliaminu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc