Zinc
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Supplementation during pregnancy results in reduced diarrhea, dysentery and impetigo in low birth weight babies, Saskia Osendarp, Centre for Health & Population Research, Bangladesh, et al., report in April 7 issue of The Lancet. The researchers conducted a double-blind, randomized trial of 420 Bangladeshi infants whose mothers consumed either 30 mg daily elemental zinc or placebo from 12 to 16 weeks' gestation until delivery. However, zinc supplementation benefits were not seen in normal birth weight babies and intervention did not improve birth weight. Medical community still should consider adding zinc "to regular antenatal supplements in regions with a high prevalence of low birth weight," Osendarp et al. suggest