Effects of zinc supplementation on growth and insulin-like growth factor-i (IGF-I) in heathly Vietnamese infants

To study the preventive effects of zinc supplementation on malnutrition during the first months of life (5-7 months of age) in healthy Vietnamese children. Infants were divided into 2 groups: one received for 6 months a syrup containing 10mg of zinc, other group received a placebo. The results showed that, zinc level in all groups were higher than in placebo group. Zinc administration increased the growth velocity of weight and height compared with placebo, particularly in female. Growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels decreased from 26ng/mL to 25ng/mL for both groups, but increased by 10% in the zinc treated females.