EFFICACY OF ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION IN REDUCING ACUTE DIARRHEA DURATION IN CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

Abstract

Background: Acute diarrhea remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in children under five, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the use of oral rehydration therapy, prolonged illness duration continues to pose health risks. Zinc supplementation has been proposed as an adjunctive therapy due to its role in immune function and gastrointestinal mucosal repair.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of zinc supplementation in reducing the duration and severity of acute diarrhea in children under five years of age compared to standard treatment alone.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted over 12 months in pediatric outpatient departments of Lahore and Faisalabad, Pakistan. A total of 280 children aged 6 to 59 months with acute diarrhea were randomly assigned to receive either zinc supplementation plus standard treatment (n=140) or standard treatment alone (n=140). Zinc was administered at 20 mg/day for 14 days. Primary outcome was diarrhea duration; secondary outcomes included stool frequency and disease severity using the Modified Vesikari Score. Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and multivariate regression.

Results: Mean diarrhea duration was significantly lower in the zinc group (2.9 ± 1.1 days) compared to the control group (4.2 ± 1.4 days, p=0.001). Stool frequency decreased more rapidly in the zinc group by Day 5 (1.4 ± 0.9 vs. 2.5 ± 1.1, p=0.002). Severity scores were also lower in the zinc group, with 35.0% experiencing mild disease versus 22.9% in controls (p=0.015).

Conclusion: Zinc supplementation effectively reduces the duration and severity of acute diarrhea in children under five and should be integrated into routine pediatric diarrhea management protocols in resource-limited settings.