Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements containing different amounts of zinc along with diarrhea and malaria treatment increase iron and vitamin A status and reduce anemia prevalence, but do not affect zinc status in young Burkinabe children: a cluster-randomized trial.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2-2017

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We assessed the effects of providing a package of interventions including small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) containing 0, 5 or 10 mg zinc and illness treatment to Burkinabe children from 9 to 18 months of age, on biomarkers of zinc, iron and vitamin A status at 18 months and compared with a non-intervention cohort (NIC).

METHODS: Using a two-stage cluster randomized trial design, communities were randomly assigned to the intervention cohort (IC) or NIC, and extended family compounds within the IC were randomly assigned to different treatment groups. IC children (n = 2435) were provided with 20 g SQ-LNS/d containing 0, 5 or 10 mg zinc, 6 mg of iron and 400 μg of vitamin A along with malaria and diarrhea treatment. NIC children (n = 785) did not receive the intervention package. At 9 and 18 months, hemoglobin (Hb), zinc, iron and vitamin A status were assessed in a sub-group (n = 404). Plasma concentrations of zinc (pZC), ferritin (pF), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were adjusted for inflammation.

RESULTS: At baseline, 35% of children had low adjusted pZC (<65 >μg/dL), 93% were anemic (Hb/L), 25% had low adjusted pF (<12 >μg/L), 90% had high adjusted sTfR (>8.3 mg/L) and 47% had low adjusted RBP (

CONCLUSIONS: SQ-LNS regardless of zinc amount and source provided along with illness treatment improved indicators of iron and vitamin A status, but not pZC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00944281 (July 21, 2009).

Publisher

BioMed Central

Publication Title

BMC pediatrics [electronic resource]

ISSN

1471-2431

Volume

17

Issue

1

First Page

46

Last Page

46

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS