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International Journal of Epidemiology 2003;32:1098-1102
© International Epidemiological Association 2003

Paediatric Epidemiology

Effect of zinc supplementation on growth in West African children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in rural Burkina Faso

O Müller1, M Garenne2, P Reitmaier1, A Baltussen van Zweeden3, B Kouyate3 and H Becher1

1 Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany.
2 Centre Francais sur la Population et le Development, Paris, France.
3 Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso.

Correspondence: Dr Olaf Müller, Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Disease Control, Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: olaf.mueller{at}urz.uni-heidelberg.de

Objective To analyse the effects of zinc supplementation on growth parameters in a representative sample of young children in rural Burkina Faso.

Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial.

Setting Eighteen villages in rural northwestern Burkina Faso.

Subjects In all, 709 children aged 6–31 months were enrolled; 685 completed the trial.

Intervention Supplementation with zinc (12.5 mg zinc sulphate) or placebo daily for 6 days a week for 6 months.

Outcomes Weight, length/height, mid-arm circumference, and serum zinc.

Results In a representative subsample of study children, 72% were zinc-deficient at baseline. After supplementation, serum zinc increased in zinc-supplemented but not in control children of the subsample. No significant differences between groups were observed during follow-up regarding length/height, weight, mid-arm circumference, and z scores for height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-height.

Conclusions We conclude that zinc supplementation does not have an effect of public health importance on growth in West African populations of young children with a high prevalence of malnutrition. Multinutrient interventions are likely to be more effective.

Keywords Zinc, growth, malnutrition, children, Africa, Burkina Faso

Accepted 31 March 2003


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