All interventionsPneumonia is a severe form of acute lower respiratory tract infection and is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age worldwide.
Zinc is important for cellular growth, cellular differentiation and metabolism and deficiency limits childhood growth and decreases resistance to infections. Although severe zinc deficiency is rare in humans, mild to moderate deficiency may be common worldwide.
Several studies have suggested that zinc supplementation may reduce the frequency and severity of respiratory infections in children, however results thus far have been inconsistent.