Weekly Zinc Chelate Supplementation on Children's Growth

Browse trials for

• Dwarfism 125

Keywords

• Zinc
• Growth
• Child
• Dietary Supplements
• Randomized Controlled Trial

Dwarfism

125 studies on the registry are indexed under Dwarfism; 19 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 199 is above the median of 75 across 74 interventional studies indexed under Dwarfism.

Lead sponsor

Federal University of São Paulo is the lead sponsor of 427 studies on the registry; 22 are open to participants now.

Study arms

• Active comparator
  Growth Deficit+zinc amino acid chelate

  Children with one and a half or more standard deviations below the mean height for age and gender of the reference population (Z-score under -1.6) were included in the Growth Deficit group (GD). During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup containing zinc amino acid chelate at 3%, i.e. the equivalent to 30mg of elemental zinc per ml, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

  Dietary Supplement: Zinc amino acid chelate

• Placebo comparator
  Growth Deficit receiving placebo

  Children with one and a half or more standard deviations below the mean height for age and gender of the reference population (Z-score under -1.6) were included in the Growth Deficit group (GD). During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

  Other: Placebo

• Placebo comparator
  Normal Height receiving placebo

  For the Normal Stature group (NS), HAZ was set up as being between -1 and +1 standard deviations from the mean height reference for age and sex. During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

  Other: Placebo

• Active comparator
  Normal Height+zinc amino acid chelate

  For the Normal Stature group (NS), HAZ was set up as being between -1 and +1 standard deviations from the mean height reference for age and sex. During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup containing zinc amino acid chelate at 3%, i.e. the equivalent to 30mg of elemental zinc per ml, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

  Dietary Supplement: Zinc amino acid chelate

Interventions

• Dietary supplementZinc amino acid chelate

  During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup containing zinc amino acid chelate at 3%, i.e. the equivalent to 30mg of elemental zinc per ml, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

• OtherPlacebo

  During twelve weeks, children received weekly 1ml of lemon flavor caramel syrup, disposed into an individual amber glass, containing 20ml of syrup. The supplement administration was made individually with 1ml BD Plastipak disposable syringe, directly into the child's mouth, by the principal investigator. The chosen supplementation day was Tuesday. Therefore, the following weekdays were reserved to supplement any absent student.

Primary outcomes

1. Change in Height-for-Age Z-score (HAZ) From End of Supplementation to End of Follow-up Period.

   Schoolchildren were allocated into two homogeneous groups named Growth Deficit (HAZ \< -1,5 Z-score), and Normal Height (HAZ between -1,0 and ±1,0 Z-score), and were randomly assigned to compose two exposed groups to receive a supplement of 30mg of zinc amino acid chelate, and two control groups to receive placebo individually once a week, during 12 weeks. Children's heights were measured at the End of Supplementation period and again after 12 weeks (Follow-up period). In combination with sex and age we transformed stature to Height-for-Age, expressed in Z-score, which was calculated as a number of standard deviations or Z-scores below or above the reference mean or median value, according to the formula below: Z-score = (observed value - median value of the reference population) / standard deviation value of reference population. We analyzed and discussed the change in HAZ (HAZ at the End of Follow-up period - HAZ at End of Supplementation).

   Time frame: Height-for-Age Z-score was measured at the End of Supplementation period and again at the End of Follow-up period, with a 12 weeks interval.

Baseline characteristics