Family Forum / Parenting / Children's Health / November 2005

"HIV children benefit from zinc supplements -study", Reuters, November
25, 2005,
Link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24543903.htm

Zinc supplements could be a simple and safe way to reduce illnesses
such as diarrhoea in children infected with HIV, researchers said on
Friday.

Zinc is an essential mineral for development and a healthy immune
system but there has been concern about the safety of supplements for
HIV patients because the virus that causes AIDS also needs it to
function and replicate.

But scientists from the United States and South Africa, who studied the
effect of the supplements in 96 children, said they are safe for
children with HIV, which weakens the immune system and make sufferers
more vulnerable to infections and illnesses.

"Zinc supplementation could be a simple and cost-effective intervention
to reduce morbidity and mortality in children with HIV infection," said
Dr William Moss, of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore,
Maryland.

In a study reported in The Lancet medical journal, Moss and doctors
from Grey's Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa said the
supplements did not produce any adverse effects in the children.

Youngsters who took the supplements for 6 months had less diarrhoea
than children who had been given a placebo, or dummy pill.

Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) has improved access to
antiretroviral drugs in poor countries, Moss said the treatments are
not available for many children.

"Consequently more than half of these children die before the age of 3
years, most commonly of respiratory tract infections and diarrhoeal
disease," he said.

An estimated 40.3 million people, including about 2.3 million children
under 15 years old, are living with HIV, according to the latest
figures released by UNAIDS.

The U.N. agency leading the global battle against HIV/AIDS said about
570,000 children died from AIDS in 2005.

Moss and his colleagues said there are few interventions to reduce AIDS
deaths in children.

"Programmes to enhance zinc intake in deficient populations with a high
prevalence of HIV infection can be implemented without concern for
adverse effects on virus replication," Moss added.