VARIOUS WAYS OF THE ORGANIC ZINC SALTS ADMINISTRATION WITH A COLOSTRUM IN FREQUENTLY AND PROTRACTEDLY SICK CHILDREN

We studied the efficiency of the organic zinc salts combined with colostrum during 60 days in a group of 74 children with frequent acute respiratory infections. The patients (4–6 years old) were subdivided into 3 groups: children slowly dissolving in mouth the drug lozenges (n = 30), children swallowing one (n = 18) and the children on standard therapy without zinc (control, n = 26). In groups of children with zinc administration, a significant improvement compared with the control was observed: medium scores for the therapy effectiveness were 5,7, 4,7 and 2,7 for the three groups accordingly (p < 0,002 for both groups zinc administration). We have also observed the dependence of the treatmente ffectiveness on the extent of the zinc deficit prior to the clinical trial. Patients with low levels of zinc at the start of the study (activity of alkaline phosphatase 95 IU/L) were characterized by low efficiency of the therapy (2–4 points). At the same time, the treatment of patients with higher initial levels of zinc (activity of apase 95–110 mmol/l at the start of the study) was more successful (5–7 points, OR = 6,0, 95%, CI = 1,0–37,0, p = 0,04). Thus, zinc administration can be used to alleviate symptoms and reduce the duration of the acute respiratory infections.Key words: zinc, acute respiratory infections, children.