Zinc May Speed Children’s Pneumonia Recovery

DHAKA, Bangladesh--Supplementation with zinc, along with standard antimicrobial therapy, may help children recover faster from pneumonia, according to newly published research in The Lancet (363, 9422:1683-88, 2004) (www.thelancet.com).

During the randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial, 270 children between the ages of 2 months and 23 months with pneumonia were given either 20 mg/d of zinc or placebo, in addition to the hospital’s standard antimicrobial therapy, until discharge. Subjects were discharged when respiratory rate was 40 per minute or less for 24 consecutive hours while remaining on oral antibiotics. Researchers found children receiving zinc had reduced duration of severe pneumonia, including duration of chest indrawing, respiratory rate more than 50 per minute, hypoxia and overall hospital duration. The mean reduction was equivalent to one hospital day for both severe pneumonia and time spent in the hospital.

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