Effectiveness of Zinc Supplementation to Full Term Normal Infants: A Community Based Double Blind, Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial

The study was aimed to test whether zinc supplementation, if initiated early, can prevent stunting and promote optimum body composition in full term infants. For this, full term pregnant women from low income urban community were enrolled and were followed-up for 24 months postpartum. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from maternal weight and height that were collected one month after delivery. Infants' weight, and length, head, chest and mid upper arm circumferences and skin fold thicknesses at triceps, biceps and subscapular area were collected at baseline (before randomization) and once in three months up till 24 months. Three hundred and twenty four infants were randomized and allocated to zinc (163) or placebo (161) groups respectively. Supplementation of zinc was initiated from 4 months of age and continued till children attained 18 months. The control (placebo) group of children received riboflavin 0.5 mg/day, whereas the intervention (zinc) group received 5 mg zinc plus riboflavin 0.5 mg/day. When infants were 18 months old, dietary intakes (in 78 children) were calculated by 24 hour diet recall method and hemoglobin, zinc, copper and vitamin A were quantified in blood samples collected from 70 children. The results showed prevalence of undernutrition (body mass index Trial RegistrationClinical Trail Registration India (CTRI) CTRI/2012/08/002884