Gastroenteritis and respiratory infections (particularly pneumonia) are the two most common causes of death in low-income countries. Preventive zinc supplementation may correct any deficiency leading to immunodeficiency and indeed some evidence suggests that preventive zinc supplementation may reduce child mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases, particularly pneumonia. Pnumeonia is the inflammation of the lungs and is caused by viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. Studies evaluating the impact of zinc supplementation as an adjunct in the management of pneumonia are limited and have shown variable results. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation, as an adjunct to antibiotics, in the treatment of pneumonia in children aged two months to 59 months.
The review authors found four randomized control trials of adequate quality evaluating the impact of zinc supplementation as an adjunct to antibiotics for pneumonia in children. These studies were conducted in Bangladesh, Nepal and India, in which 3267 children aged two to 35 months were randomly assigned to receive zinc or placebo. No serious adverse events were observed. Analysis did not show any significant effect on the clinical recovery of patients in terms of resolution of tachypnoea (respiratory rate > 50 breaths per minute) and cessation of chest indrawing. It also showed non-significant effects of the intervention on the duration of hospitalization. Evidence provided in this review is insufficient to recommend use of zinc as an adjunct to standard antibiotic therapy for pneumonia in children aged two to 35 months.