Effect of zinc supplementation started during diarrhoea on morbidity and mortality in Bangladeshi children: community randomised trial

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effect on morbidity and mortality of providing daily zinc for 14 days to children with diarrhoea. Design: Cluster randomised comparison. Setting: Matlab field site of International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Participants: 8070 children aged 3-59 months contributed 11 881 child years of observation during a two year period. Intervention: Children with diarrhoea in the intervention clusters were treated with zinc (20 mg per day for 14 days); all children with diarrhoea were treated with oral rehydration therapy. Main outcome measures: Duration of episode of diarrhoea, incidence of diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory infections, admission to hospital for diarrhoea or acute lower respiratory infections, and child mortality. Results: About 40% (399/1007) of diarrhoeal episodes…