O papel do zinco no crescimento linear infantil

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: We assessed meticulously the scientific literature about zinc influence on linear growth of children, since birth until prepubertal age. METHODS: This is an integrative review of literature, using the following scientific databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO and LILACS, and the used descriptors were “zinc”, “growth”, “children”, “trials” and “placebo”. After removing the duplicates and applying the exclusion criteria, we obtained 9 articles to apply the PEDro scale, being all approved with grade equal or superior to 7 points, in order to be selected to our analysis, results and discussion. RESULTS: These studies have indicated that zinc promotes growth by reducing infectious diseases rates and increases IGF-1 and GH levels, regardless of the age group analyzed. In addition, the impact of supplementation on other anthropometric measures, especially in vulnerable children, with low weight, premature and zinc deficient. CONCLUSION: Zinc interfers positively in children linear growth, obeying to a relation time and dose-dependent.