The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p126
27 July 2002

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The Lancet (www.thelancet.com)

Zinc impairs infant mental development

Giving zinc supplements to pregnant women could impair the mental development of their children, a study shows.

The trial initially showed that giving zinc supplements to Bangladeshi women improved infant growth and reduced susceptibility to infectious diseases. However, in a follow-up study, in which the infants were assessed at 13 months of age, the infants of mothers given zinc supplementation scored less well for mental and psychomotor development than infants of mothers given placebo (Lancet 2002;360:290).