Objectives
To determine the effect of daily zinc and/or multivitamin (vitamins C, E & B-complex) supplementation on early childhood development among Tanzanian infants.
Methods
In this randomized, 2×2 factorial, double-blind trial, 2400 infants were randomized to daily supplementation with zinc (Zn), multivitamins (MV), zinc and multivitamins (Zn+MV), or placebo at 6 weeks of age. At approximately 15 months, a sub-sample of 247 children underwent developmental assessment using the cognitive, language (receptive and expressive) and motor (fine and gross) scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd Edition (BSID-III). Mean BSID-III scores were compared using univariate and multivariate linear regression models adjusted for child’s sex, post-conceptual age and test administrator. Logistic regression models were used to assess odds of a low developmental scores.
Results
We did not detect a significant difference in mean BSID-III scores in any of the five domains in univariate or multivariate models comparing each of the four treatment groups. After collapsing treatment groups, we still did not detect a significant difference in mean BSID-III scores when comparing children who received zinc supplements versus those who did not, or in comparisons of children who received multivitamin supplements versus those who did not. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the odds of a low BSID-III score in any of the 5 domains across treatment arms.
Conclusions
Because neither daily zinc nor multivitamin (vitamins B-complex, C and E) supplementation, either alone or in combination, led to improvements in any of the developmental domains assessed using the BSID-III, we recommend pursuing alternative interventions to promote early childhood development in vulnerable populations.
