JAMA: Zinc reduced infections by nearly 40% in young children with sickle cell disease

Daily supplementation with 20 milligrams of zinc reduced the number of infections by 38% in children under five with sickle cell disease, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and their colleagues in Uganda. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells become abnormally shaped and are less effective at carrying oxygen throughout the body. Children with the condition often develop zinc deficiency, and the mineral plays an important role in immune system function. As a result, these children are particularly vulnerable to infections that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

The study included 100 children aged one to five who were receiving treatment at a regional hospital in Jinja, Uganda. For six months, some of the children received 20 mg of zinc daily, while the others received a placebo. The trial was randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Children who received zinc experienced 38% fewer infections of all types than those in the placebo group. These included upper respiratory tract infections, diarrhea and bacterial infections.

This was the researchers’ second study examining the approach. In an earlier trial, children received 10 mg of zinc per day, but researchers did not observe a significant reduction in infections. The new findings suggest that a higher dose may be considerably more effective.

However, the researchers do not yet recommend adding daily zinc supplementation to standard treatment for children with sickle cell disease. The results need to be confirmed in larger studies involving patients from multiple medical centers.

One potential advantage of the approach is its low cost. According to the researchers, when purchased in bulk, a year-long course of daily zinc supplementation could cost less than $3 per child.

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