{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T10:45:23Z","timestamp":1783507523973,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2007,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVE. Gastrointestinal parasites continue to be an important cause of morbidity and stunting among children in developing countries. We evaluated the effect of vitamin A and zinc supplementation on infections by Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Entamoeba histolytica.<\/jats:p><jats:p>METHODS. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted among 707 children who were 6 to 15 months of age and from periurban areas of Mexico City, Mexico, between January 2000 and May 2002. Children, who were assigned to receive either vitamin A every 2 months, a daily zinc supplement, a combined vitamin A and zinc supplement, or a placebo, were followed for 1 year. The primary end points were the 12-month rates and durations of infection for the 3 parasites and rates of parasite-associated diarrheal disease as determined in stools collected once a month and after diarrheal episodes.<\/jats:p><jats:p>RESULTS. G lamblia infections were reduced and A lumbricoides infections increased among children in the combined vitamin A and zinc group or the zinc alone group, respectively. Durations of Giardia infections were reduced among children in all 3 treatment arms, whereas Ascaris infections were reduced in the vitamin A and zinc group. In contrast, E histolytica infection durations were longer among zinc-supplemented children. Finally, E histolytica\u2013and A lumbricoides\u2013associated diarrheal episodes were reduced among children who received zinc alone or a combined vitamin A and zinc supplement, respectively.<\/jats:p><jats:p>CONCLUSIONS. We found that vitamin A and zinc supplementation was associated with distinct parasite-specific health outcomes. Vitamin A plus zinc reduces G lamblia incidence, whereas zinc supplementation increases A lumbricoides incidence but decreases E histolytica\u2013associated diarrhea.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2006-2187","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,10,1]],"date-time":"2007-10-01T17:11:46Z","timestamp":1191258706000},"page":"e846-e855","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":52,"title":["Effect of Vitamin A and Zinc Supplementation on Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections Among Mexican Children"],"prefix":"10.1542","volume":"120","author":[{"given":"Kurt Z.","family":"Long","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Nutrition"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jorge L.","family":"Rosado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition, School of Natural Sciences, Universidad Auto\u0301noma de Quere\u0301taro, Quere\u0301taro, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yura","family":"Montoya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Childhood and Adolescent Health, Secretary of Health, Mexico City, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"de Lourdes Solano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Nutrition, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Me\u0301dicas y Nutricio\u0301n \u201cSalvador Zubiran,\u201d Mexico City, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ellen","family":"Hertzmark","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Herbert L.","family":"DuPont","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health and University of Texas Medical School, Houston, Texas"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jose Ignacio","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Office of Director General, Hospital Infantil de Mexico \u201cFederico Gomez,\u201d Mexico City, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"417","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2007,10,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2021120902301973200_R1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Crompton DW. 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