Influence of zinc on severity of common cold in children

Background Symptomatic treatment of common cold in children does not reduce the duration and severity of disease. Since zinc has been used to enhance cellular and humoral immunity, it has the potential to reduce the severity of the common cold. However, the effects of zinc on the common cold have been inconclusive. The use of zinc to treat cold symptoms deserves further studies. Objective To determine the effect of zinc supplementation on the severity of the common cold in children. Methods We performed a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in children aged 3-5 years who were diagnosed with a common cold at primary health care centers in Gedongtengen, Unibulharjo I and Kotagede II, Yogyakarta. Subjects were collected by consecutive sampling and their parents were interviewed. Severity of illness was categorized as mild, moderate or severe. Results One hundred fourteen patients with common cold were divided into 2 groups of 57 subjects each. One group received zinc supplementation while the other group received a placebo. Subjects with fever received additional paracetamol. After 7 days of treatment, there were no significant differences in clinical improvement in the zinc group (80.7%) compared to that of the placebo group (78.9%), P=0.83. Conclusion The severity of the common cold in children aged 3-5 years was not significantly different in those who received zinc supplementation compared to placebo.