Zinc reduces fever in boys with ALRI

A new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that zinc significantly reduces the duration of fever and severity of illness in boys, but not girls, with severe acute lower respiratory infection.

In the trial, 153 children aged between two months and two-years, who were hospitalized with severe ALRI, were randomly assigned to receive 10mg zinc acetate (twice daily for five days), 10,000mcg equivalents vitamin A (twice daily for four days), zinc plus vitamin A, or a placebo. Zinc supplementation has previously been shown to prevent ALRI and vitamin A to reduce childhood mortality, but the benefits of the latter involving ALRI-specific mortality has yet to be proven, noted the researchers.

Results demonstrated that recovery rates from very ill status and from fever in zinc-treated boys were 2.6 times (p=0.004) and three times (p=0.003) higher than those in non-zinc treated children. In contrast, zinc treatment did not show these benefits in girls. Furthermore, the use of vitamin A had no significant effect on recovery rates, noted the scientists.