Zinc Supplementation Versus Placebo for Bronchiolitis Management in Children: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation compared to a placebo in augmenting standard therapy for the management of bronchiolitis in pediatric patients.
Material and Methods: In this 12-month single-blind randomized controlled trial at the at the Children's Hospital and University of Child Health Sciences 102 children (2-23 months) with acute bronchiolitis were collected through non-probability conveniently sampling technique and equally divided into case and control groups. Each group received either 1% zinc sulfate solution or placebo alongside standard therapy. Progress, monitored for up to 120 hours of hospital stay, was analyzed using SPSS v26, adhering to a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error.
Results: In infants with acute bronchiolitis, zinc sulfate led to faster improvements. At 24 and 48 hours, theyexhibited fewer symptoms of cough and wheezing than the control group, a trend supported by statistical significance (p=0.000). Moreover, beyond 48 hours, they showed higher oxygen saturation levels and had shorter hospital stays (average 2.37 vs. 3.33 days), illustrating zinc's potential in enhancing recovery from acute bronchiolitis.
Conclusion: Recent findings suggest zinc sulfate could be a promising adjunct treatment for children with acute bronchiolitis, reducing symptom severity and hospital stay duration without adverse effects. Further research is needed to establish optimal dosage and treatment duration, particularly for critically ill pediatric populations.