Document Type
Article
Department
Pathology (East Africa)
Abstract
Background: Zinc supplementation in young children has been associated with reductions in the incidence and severity of diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections, and malaria.
Objective: The objective was to evaluate the potential role of zinc as an adjunct in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria; a multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was undertaken.
Design: Children (n = 1087) aged 6 mo to 5 y were enrolled at sites in Ecuador, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Children with fever and ≥ 2000 asexual forms of Plasmodium falciparum/μL in a thick blood smear received chloroquine and were randomly assigned to receive zinc (20 mg/d for infants, 40 mg/d for older children) or placebo for 4 d.
Results: There was no effect of zinc on the median time to reduction of fever (zinc group: 24.2 h; placebo group: 24.0 h; P = 0.37), a ≥75% reduction in parasitemia from baseline in the first 72 h in 73.4% of the zinc group and in 77.6% of the placebo group (P = 0.11), and no significant change in hemoglobin concentration during the 3-d period of hospitalization and the 4 wk of follow-up. Mean plasma zinc concentrations were low in all children at baseline (zinc group: 8.54 ± 3.93 μmol/L; placebo group: 8.34 ± 3.25 μmol/L), but children who received zinc supplementation had higher plasma zinc concentrations at 72 h than did those who received placebo (10.95 ± 3.63 compared with 10.16 ± 3.25 μmol/L, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Zinc does not appear to provide a beneficial effect in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated falciparum malaria in preschool children.
Publication ( Name of Journal)
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Recommended Citation
Sempertegui, F.,
Estrella, B.,
Toapanta, F.,
Torres, D.,
Calahorrano, D.,
Yeboah-Antwi, K.,
Addo-Yobo, E.,
Arthur, P.,
Newton, S.,
Premji, Z.,
Hubert, M.,
Makwaya, C.,
Ssengooba, F.,
Konde-Lule, J.,
Mukisa, E.,
Hamer, D.,
MacLeod, W.,
Duggan, C.,
Fawzi, W.,
Simon, J.,
Mwanakasale, V.,
Mulenga, M.,
Sukwa, T.,
Tshiula, J.
(2002). Effect of zinc on the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76(4), 805-812.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/eastafrica_fhs_mc_pathol/84
Comments
This work was published prior to author’s joining Aga Khan University