A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of zinc supplementation during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome in Bangladeshi urban poor

BACKGROUND Maternal zinc supplementation has been suggested as a potential intervention to reduce the incidence of low birth weight in developing countries. To date, placebo-controlled trials have all been performed in industrialized countries and the results are inconsistent. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate whether zinc supplementation in Bangladeshi urban poor during the last 2 trimesters of pregnancy was associated with pregnancy outcome. DESIGN We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which 559 women from Dhaka slums, stratified by parity between 12 and 16 wk of gestation, were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg elemental Zn/d (n = 269) or placebo (n = 290). Supplementation continued until delivery. Serum zinc was estimated at baseline and at 7…