Baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the study cohort, according to zinc or placebo randomized intervention
| Characteristic . | Zinc (N = 124) . | Placebo (N = 124) . |
|---|---|---|
| Age at enrollment, mo | 32.3 ± 13.4 | 32.6 ± 13.8 |
| Male, n (%) | 60 (48.4) | 57 (46.0) |
| Sleeps under an insecticide-treated bednet every night, n (%) | 110 (88.7) | 104 (83.9) |
| Weight-for-height z-score | –0.34 ± 0.91 | –0.44 ± 0.93 |
| Height-for-age z-score | –1.29 ± 0.94 | –1.32 ± 1.10 |
| Prevalence of wasting (weight-for-height z-score < –2) | 5 (4.0) | 6 (4.8) |
| Prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z-score < –2) | 30 (24.2) | 33 (26.6) |
| Had prior episode of dactylitis, n (%) | 105 (84.7) | 106 (85.5) |
| Had prior stroke, n (%) | 3 (2.4) | 2 (1.6) |
| Had prior blood transfusion, n (%) | 69 (55.7) | 68 (54.8) |
| On hydroxyurea therapy before enrollment, n (%) | 2 (1.6) | 1 (0.8) |
| On daily penicillin prophylaxis before enrollment, n (%) | 95 (76.6) | 93 (75.0) |
| On malaria prophylaxis before enrollment, n (%) | 97 (78.3) | 96 (77.4) |
| Hemoglobin concentration, g/dL | 8.2 ± 1.3 | 8.3 ± 1.3 |
| Fetal hemoglobin % | 13.4 ± 7.3 | 14.0 ± 8.6 |
| Absolute reticulocyte count, ARC, × 109/L | 137 ± 47 | 142 ± 48 |
| White blood cell count, WBC, 109/L | 18.8 ± 6.5 | 19.5 ± 10.0 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 0.30 ± 0.06 | 0.30 ± 0.06 |
| HIV positive, n (%) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Had measles vaccination before enrollment, n (%) | 110 (88.7) | 117 (94.4) |
| Had pneumococcal vaccination before enrollment, n (%) | 124 (100) | 124 (100) |
| Characteristic . | Zinc (N = 124) . | Placebo (N = 124) . |
|---|---|---|
| Age at enrollment, mo | 32.3 ± 13.4 | 32.6 ± 13.8 |
| Male, n (%) | 60 (48.4) | 57 (46.0) |
| Sleeps under an insecticide-treated bednet every night, n (%) | 110 (88.7) | 104 (83.9) |
| Weight-for-height z-score | –0.34 ± 0.91 | –0.44 ± 0.93 |
| Height-for-age z-score | –1.29 ± 0.94 | –1.32 ± 1.10 |
| Prevalence of wasting (weight-for-height z-score < –2) | 5 (4.0) | 6 (4.8) |
| Prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z-score < –2) | 30 (24.2) | 33 (26.6) |
| Had prior episode of dactylitis, n (%) | 105 (84.7) | 106 (85.5) |
| Had prior stroke, n (%) | 3 (2.4) | 2 (1.6) |
| Had prior blood transfusion, n (%) | 69 (55.7) | 68 (54.8) |
| On hydroxyurea therapy before enrollment, n (%) | 2 (1.6) | 1 (0.8) |
| On daily penicillin prophylaxis before enrollment, n (%) | 95 (76.6) | 93 (75.0) |
| On malaria prophylaxis before enrollment, n (%) | 97 (78.3) | 96 (77.4) |
| Hemoglobin concentration, g/dL | 8.2 ± 1.3 | 8.3 ± 1.3 |
| Fetal hemoglobin % | 13.4 ± 7.3 | 14.0 ± 8.6 |
| Absolute reticulocyte count, ARC, × 109/L | 137 ± 47 | 142 ± 48 |
| White blood cell count, WBC, 109/L | 18.8 ± 6.5 | 19.5 ± 10.0 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 0.30 ± 0.06 | 0.30 ± 0.06 |
| HIV positive, n (%) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Had measles vaccination before enrollment, n (%) | 110 (88.7) | 117 (94.4) |
| Had pneumococcal vaccination before enrollment, n (%) | 124 (100) | 124 (100) |
Plus-minus values are means ± SD.