Zinc-deficient children living where they do not receive adequate amounts of zinc from their diet should be given supplements, say U.S. researchers.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions say that even if the children are HIV-infected they should be given the supplements.
Previously, it was not known if zinc would speed up HIV disease progression in children by increasing their viral load. Zinc supplementation is known to decrease the frequency of diarrhea and pneumonia in uninfected children.
"We set out to look at the safety and impact of zinc supplements in children with HIV," said Dr. William J. Moss. "Not only did we learn that zinc is safe for these children, but we also realized that this may be a low-cost intervention to reduce morbidity in HIV-infected children who don't have access to antiretroviral therapy or are not eligible for treatment."
The study is published in The Lancet.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
