RESUMO
To determine the effectiveness of oral zinc supplementation in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea. The duration of episode of diarrhea, rate of maluse of "antidiarrheals" and antibiotics and the acceptability of zinc by the treated children. A randomized control trial. The outpatient clinic of Suez. Canal University Hospital and the urban Primary Health Center [El-Shiekh Zayed] in Ismailia governorate. 90 children aged 2-60 months were enrolled in the study. Children with diarrhea in the intervention group were treated with zinc sulphate [20 mg per day for 14 days] and oral rehydration solution while children in the control group were treated with oral rehydration solution alone zinc supplementation caused a significant reduction in the mean duration of the diarrheal episode it was 3.5 days in the zinc group compared to 4.75 days in control group with statistical significant deference between the two groups. Zinc supplementation also caused significant reduction of the use rate of "antidiarrheals" and antibiotics, the results, showed that 81.6% didn't use them in the zinc group compared to 39% in the control group, however 18.4% used them in the zinc group compared to 61% in the ORS group with significant difference between both group. Oral zinc supplementation, in under five children with acute watery diarrhea is efficacious in reducing the duration of the diarrhea episode, also reducing the maluse of "antidiarrheals" and antibiotics