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Question Can zinc supplementation reduce the incidence and severity of acute lower respiratory infections in infants and preschool children in India?
Design
6 month randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial.
Setting
Community based clinic in a city in India.
Patients
609 children who were 6–35 months of age (mean age 19 mo, 52% boys), had attended a community based clinic for diarrhoea, and had recovered from the initial diarrhoeal episode. Follow up was 99%.
Intervention
Children were allocated to zinc gluconate, 10 mg (n=298), or placebo (n=311) given daily in 5 ml of liquid supplement containing vitamins A (800 U), B1 (0.6 mg), B2 (0.5 mg), B6 (0.5 mg), D3 (100 U), and E (3 mg) and niacinamide (10 mg). Duration of treatment was 6 months. Children who had diarrhoea received 10 ml of the supplement while they …