Objectives: It is known that zinc is an essential element playing an important role on cellular regeneration and
immune system functions as well as its deficiency carries a risk in the development of various infections. The goal
of this study was to investigate the significance of plasma zinc levels in infants with acute diarrhea.
Patients And Methods: This study included overall 42 infants, ages ranging between 3 to 23 months (mean 10.5
months), who were hospitalized due to acute diarrhea. Serum zinc levels were measured in the venous blood at
the admission using atomic absorbtion spectrophotometry. The parameters including age, sex, nutrional
characteristics, duration of diarrhea and hospitalization were statistically compared between those with a serum
level below 60 μg/dl and others with normal level.
Results: Of 42 patients, 27 (64.2%) had low plasma zinc levels and the remaining 15 (35.8%) were normal. Both
groups did not show statistically significant difference in terms of age, sex, duration of breast feeding and
hospitalization. In contrast, duration of diarrhea in infants with low plasma zinc level was found to be
significantly longer than duration in infants with normal levels (mean 9.8 days and 6.5 days, respectively, p=0.03).
Conclusion: We conclude that low zinc level is associated with longer periods of acute diarrhea in infants, thus
causing an increase in morbidity and mortality. These children may have benefits from zinc supplemantation.
Keywords: Infant, Zinc, Diarrhea
|
