A randomized clinical trial to assess the effect of zinc and vitamin D supplementation in addition to hypertonic saline on treatment of acute bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: Bronchiolitis, the most common cause of hospitalization in infancy has not yet a definitive treatment. This study was conducted to assess the effect of Zinc and vitamin D on treatment of infants with bronchiolitis. METHODS: In this double blind, randomized clinical trial, 94 infants aged 2 to 23 months, admitted in Mousavi Hospital in Zanjan, Iran, with the diagnosis of acute bronchiolitis were randomly assigned into 3 groups. The control group was only treated with hypertonic saline. The two case groups received either 100 unit/kg/day of Vitamin D or 20 mg/day of zinc in addition to hypertonic saline. Wheezing, duration of hospital stay, cough, cyanosis, respiratory distress and the respiratory rate in the first, third and seventh day of hospitalization were evaluated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups in terms of age, sex, weight, passive smoking, wheezing, oxygen saturation, cyanosis and type of delivery. On the third day of hospitalization, the respiratory rate/min in the control group, the groups receiving vitamin D and zinc were 45.2 ± 10.7, 37.8 ± 3.9 and 41.1 ± 9.1 respectively and the result of repeated measure analysis didn't show any significant difference between the 3 groups (P = 0.562). Duration of hospitalization in the group receiving Vitamin D or zinc and in controls were 4.2 ± 2.6, 4.4 ± 2.2 and 5.1 ± 2.4 days respectively and this difference was not significant. Zinc receiving patients did not differ from the control group regarding to respiratory rate, cyanosis and wheezing. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D or zinc administration was not effective in reducing respiratory rate in children with bronchiolitis. Trial registration This project was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IR, ZUMS.REC.1396.50), and registered on IRCT (IRCT20131217015835N7).

Effect of Zinc on Hyperbilirubinemia of Newborns, a Randomized Double Blinded Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Jaundice is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in newborn infants. Zinc may have a possible role as a cofactor of enzymes in the metabolism of bilirubin and can prevent red blood cell destruction as an antioxidant agent. The present study aims to investigate the effect of zinc in the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Material&Methods: In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 112 healthy newborns with idiopathic neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were divided into two groups receiving zinc and placebo. The case and control group received 10mg of zinc and placebo daily. The total bilirubin levels in the second, third, fourth and fifth day and duration of hospitalization and phototherapy were compared. RESULTS: The mean total bilirubin value in the second to fifth days in the zinc group were 11.95±2.35, 9.49±1.79, 8.54±1.63 and 8.64±0.96 respectively, and in the placebo group were 12.95±2.73, 9.88±2.35, 9.5±2.9 and 10.16±0.86 respectively and there was no significant difference between two groups. The duration of phototherapy and hospitalization in the zinc and placebo groups did not show any significant difference. CONCLUSION: We did not find a significant reduction in serum bilirubin levels nor the duration of hospitalization in neonates receiving zinc sulfate compared to control group.