Serum zinc level in children with intestinal parasitic infections

ABSTRACT

Zinc is very important for growth, development and cognitive function in children. Its deficiency has deleterious consequences on children's health. Zinc deficiency is a serious health problem worldwide affecting developed as well as developing countries. To detect a relation between intestinal parasitic infection and serum zinc level is not an easy task. Early detection and treatment of intestinal parasitosis could avoid or treat the possible serum zinc deficiency. The aim of this study was to find out the relationship between intestinal parasitic infection and serum zinc level. Serum levels of zinc were prospectively measured in 80 Egyptian intestinal parasitic positive children and 20 age, sex and socioeconomic class matched controls. Samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. Serum zinc evaluation revealed no statistically significant difference between mean values of controls and patients [P> 0.05]