Zinc supplementation increases growth velocity of male children and adolescents with short stature

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Abstract
We assessed the effect of zinc supplementation on growth velocity in 79 children and adolescents (48 males, 38 females) with idiopathic short stature. Their height-for-age was < 5th percentile (NCHS standards) and their weight-for-age was normal. Patients were assigned randomly to a supplemented group (S) to receive Zn 10 mg/day or to a placebo (P) group, according to gender and age, and were followed-up for 12 months using a double-blind design. Weight, height, armspan, length of lower segment and plasma and hair concentrations of Zn were measured at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months. On admission and at 6 months, energy, protein, dietary fiber and zinc intakes were similar for groups S and P; mean zinc intake was < 6.5 mg/day. No differences were found in plasma zinc, hair zinc, weight, armspan or lower segment increments. Pre-adolescent males in group S had a significantly greater increase in stature compared with group P (6.2 +/- 2.1 versus 4.5 +/- 1.2 cm/year p < 0.025); z score improved from -2.42 to -2.24 in group S and from -2.63 to -2.61 in group P. For adolescent males, the difference was also significant (8.3 +/- 1.5 versus 6.2 +/- 2.1 cm/year; p < 0.025). No differences were noted in females. In Chilean male schoolchildren and adolescents with idiopathic short stature, zinc supplementation increases growth velocity over a 12-month period.