What is the estimated reduction in mortality associated with zinc supplementation for childhood diarrhea?

What is the estimated reduction in mortality associated with zinc supplementation for childhood diarrhea?

• A. 15%
• B. 23%
• C. 30%
• D. 40%

Answer: (B)

Zinc supports immune function and helps repair the gut lining, so providing zinc during a diarrheal episode lowers the severity and duration of diarrhea and reduces dehydration risk. When researchers pool results from randomized trials in young children, the overall effect shows about a 23% reduction in mortality—roughly a 0.77 relative risk—associated with zinc supplementation during diarrhea. This is the best-supported average effect across diverse settings, even though the exact benefit can vary by baseline mortality and adherence. The other numbers are smaller or larger than the typical estimate and don’t reflect the common pooled finding.

Zinc supports immune function and helps repair the gut lining, so providing zinc during a diarrheal episode lowers the severity and duration of diarrhea and reduces dehydration risk. When researchers pool results from randomized trials in young children, the overall effect shows about a 23% reduction in mortality—roughly a 0.77 relative risk—associated with zinc supplementation during diarrhea. This is the best-supported average effect across diverse settings, even though the exact benefit can vary by baseline mortality and adherence. The other numbers are smaller or larger than the typical estimate and don’t reflect the common pooled finding.