Sazawal, SunilDhingra, UshaDeb, SaikatBhan, Maharaj KMenon, Venugopal PBlack, Robert E2007-03-102009-05-272007-03-102009-05-272007-03-10Sazawal S, Dhingra U, Deb S, Bhan MK, Menon VP, Black RE. Effect of zinc added to multi-vitamin supplementation containing low-dose vitamin A on plasma retinol level in children--a double-blind randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition. 2007 Mar; 25(1): 62-6http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/981Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition.In a community-based double-blind randomized trial in children aged 6-35 months, both intervention and control groups received a multi-vitamin syrup containing vitamin A, while the intervention group had zinc gluconate (equivalent to 10 mg of elemental zinc) additional in the syrup. There was a significant decrease in diarrhoea and pneumonia in the intervention group. This study was undertaken to investigate if addition of zinc to vitamin A had improved plasma retinol levels, which, in turn, was responsible for the effects observed in the intervention group. In a randomly-selected subsample of 200 children--100 each from the intervention and the control group, plasma retinol levels after 120 days of supplementation were measured. There was no difference in the mean plasma retinol levels [the difference in the mean 0.46 microg/dL (95% confidence interval -1.42-2.36)] between the two groups following supplementation. No difference in plasma retinol levels was observed in the subgroups based on base-line nutritional status and plasma zinc levels. Addition of zinc to low-dose vitamin A in this study did not improve the vitamin A status of children and cannot explain morbidity effects of the intervention.engChild Nutritional Physiology PhenomenaChild, PreschoolDiarrhea --epidemiologyDietary SupplementsDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansInfantMaleNutritional StatusOutcome Assessment (Health Care)Pneumonia --epidemiologyTrace Elements --administration & dosageVitamin A --administration & dosageVitamins --administration & dosageZinc --administration & dosageJournal Article