اثر مكمل ياري «روي» در بهبود رشد كودكان 12 تا 24 ماهه مبتلا به كوتاه قدي تغذيه اي شهرستان دلفان، استان لرستان

Effect of zinc supplementation on the growth of stunted 12-24-month old children in Delfhan, south-west of Iran

Introduction: Nutritional stunting, which indicates chronic malnutrition, is an important health problem in developing countries. Bearing in mind the critical role of zinc in child growth, this research project was carried out in order to determine the effect of zinc supplementation on the growth of 12-24-month old stunted children in Delphan, Lorestan Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was carried out on 61 stunted children aged 12-24 months in Delphan, Lorestan Province, Iran during 2005-6. They were randomly assigned to receive, daily, either a lO-rng zinc supplement or a placebo for 4 months. Weights and heights were measured monthly and weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height Z-scores calculated, using the SPSS software. Results: In severely stunted children, zinc supplementation improved height and height-for-age increments. height-for-age Z-score: -1.48±0.42 vs -2057±0.44 v~.p