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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #85644
Title: A PRELIMINARY REPORT: EFFECTS OF ZINC AND MICRONUTRIENT REPLETION ON GROWTHAND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF URBAN CHINESE CHILDREN

Author
item Penland, James
item SANDSTEAD, HAROLD - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
item ALCOCK, NANCY - UNIVERISTY OF TEXAS
item DAYAL, HARI - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
item CHEN, XUE-CUN - CHINESE ACAD PREV MED
item LI, JUE-SHENG - QINGDAO MED COLLEGE
item ZHOA, FAJI - MILITARY MED UNIVERSITY
item YANG, JAI-JIU - MILITARY MED UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of American College of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Zinc is necessary for physical growth, activity and mental function of experimental animals. Past research in humans found an association between zinc intake and mental and motor function in U.S. adults, and the zinc supplementation improved the growth of stunted Chinese children. Therefore, we measured effects of zinc supplementation on growth and mental and motor function of 372 first- and second-grade children living in three urban areas of the Peoples Republic of China. Treatments were 20 mg zinc alone, 20 mg zinc added to other essential micronutrients, and the micronutrients alone. Treatments were administered by teachers 6 days a week for 10 weeks. Outcome measures were changes in growth (knee height) and the neuropsychological functions of attention, perception, memory, reasoning and motor skills. Zinc alone had the least effect on growth while zinc with micronutrients had the largest effect; micronutrients alone had an intermediate effect. Zinc-containing treatments improved reasoning and motor skills more than micronutrients alone, while other mental functions improved more with one but not both zinc treatments. The findings confirm the need for zinc for growth during early development, and show, for the first time, the importance of zinc for mental and motor function of children. The findings therefore have important implication for the estimated 10-30% of children worldwide suffering or at risk for zinc deficiency.

Technical Abstract: Zinc is essential for growth and cognition of experimental animals, and recent work showed an association between zinc intake and cognition in adults. Further, past research found zinc supplementation improved growth of stunted Chinese children. Therefore, we measured effects of zinc supplementation on growth and neuropsychological function of Chinese children. A double-blind randomized controlled treatment trial was conducted with 372 first graders, aged 6-9 years, attending school in low income districts of Chongqing, Qingdao and Shanghai. Treatments were 20 mg zinc, 20 mg zinc with micronutrients, and micronutrients alone. The micronutrient mixture was based on guidelines of the US NAS/NRC. Treatments were assigned to classrooms of about 40 children each, and administered by teachers 6 days per week for 10 weeks. Outcome measures were changes in knee height and neuropsychological function. Zinc alone had the least effect on growth while zinc with micronutrients had the largest effect; micronutrients alone had an intermediate effect. Zinc-con- taining treatments improved neuropsychological function; micronutrients alone had little effect. The findings confirm the essentiality of zinc for growth of children, and show, for the first time, the essentiality of zinc for neuropsychological function of children. In addition, the need for repletion of other potentially limiting nutrients in studies examining the effects of specific nutrients on growth and neuropsychological function was confirmed.