Insufficient evidence to confirm or refute the effect of zinc supplementation in children with measles

Objectives:
Measles is an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally, despite increasing vaccine coverage. Zinc plays a significant role in the maintenance of normal immunological functions, therefore supplements given to zinc-deficient children will increase the availability of zinc and could reduce measles-related morbidity and mortality. This is an update of a review first published in 2015.

Does zinc supplementation reduce measles risk in children?

Study design:
This review article included 1 RCT conducted in India, involving 85 children diagnosed with measles and pneumonia.

Results and conclusions:
The investigators found in the trial conducted in India no significant difference in mortality between children with measles and pneumonia who received zinc supplements and those who received placebo [RR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.01 to 8.14].

The investigators also found no significant difference in time to absence of fever between children who received zinc supplements and those who did not [HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.67 to 1.74].

The investigators also found no treatment-related side effects in either group and the overall quality of the evidence was very low.

The investigators concluded no definitive conclusions can be drawn from this review about the effects of zinc supplementation on clinical outcomes of children with measles due to the very low quality of the evidence available. There is insufficient evidence to confirm or refute the effect of zinc supplementation in children with measles.

Original title:
Zinc supplementation for the treatment of measles in children by Awotiwon AA, Oduwole O, […], Okwundu CI.

Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28631310

Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more information/studies on food fortification/malnutrition and zinc right here.