Zinc supplementation for acute gastroenteritis

Ran D. Goldman

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Zinc -- do all Canadian children have enough zinc?
Sarah M. Giles

Published on: 30 May 2013
Alia ismat-raheem

Published on: 09 May 2013

Published on: (30 May 2013)

Zinc -- do all Canadian children have enough zinc?
Sarah M. Giles, locum family physician
I read this article with interest. Goldman states: "Canadian children are in general not zinc deficient." He bases this statement on a study done on children in southern Ontario. As a physician who works in northern Canada, predominately in remote and rural Aboriginal populations, I wonder if this his statement needs more of a caveat. I am not convinced that northern children have sufficient zinc given the limited natur...
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I read this article with interest. Goldman states: "Canadian children are in general not zinc deficient." He bases this statement on a study done on children in southern Ontario. As a physician who works in northern Canada, predominately in remote and rural Aboriginal populations, I wonder if this his statement needs more of a caveat. I am not convinced that northern children have sufficient zinc given the limited nature of their diet and wonder if they would benefit from zinc supplementation during episodes of acute gastroenteritis? We know that levels are depleted with gastroenteritis and that supplementation can prevent subsequent episodes over the next 4 months. So, it is not just a question of having sufficient zinc levels prior to illness, it's having enough stores to recover after the illness that is of interest. Perhaps an area for further research?
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (9 May 2013)
Alia ismat-raheem, medical doctor
I think its good to know that zinc has a role to play in the treatment of diarrhea. I knew that it helps in wound healing, but its use for diarrhea and respiratory infections is new, especially in children. It is provided in food products in Canada, but in other parts of the world where diarrhea is pretty common the use of zinc can be beneficial.
Conflict of Interest:
None dec...
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I think its good to know that zinc has a role to play in the treatment of diarrhea. I knew that it helps in wound healing, but its use for diarrhea and respiratory infections is new, especially in children. It is provided in food products in Canada, but in other parts of the world where diarrhea is pretty common the use of zinc can be beneficial.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.