Monday, 18 January 2010 09:15

In celebration of July 2009 Nutrition Month

July 31, 2009, Baler, Province of Aurora

A nutrition Supplementation Project of Senator Edgardo J.

Angara and Governor Bellaflor J. Angara - Castillo

ZInC Project

Zinc Initiative Community- Based Project

 

A supervised zinc supplementation nutrition program to help improve the nutritional status and reduce the morbidity and mortality rate of high risk, zinc deficient groups.

Who are these high- risk groups?

1. A. Infants and children  age 1 year to 5 ½ years old who are:

-          Stunted (underheight)

-          Wasted (underweight)

-          Prone to diarrheas and pneumonias

Zinc supplementation for 6 months aims to improve these health indicators by increasing their height/ weight and reducing the incidence of diarrheas and pneumonias.

1. B. Pregnant women who are:

-          Pregnant teenagers who are at risk in developing obstetrical complications

-          Underweight pregnant women

-          Multiparous women

Zinc supplementation starting on the 2^nd trimester of pregnancy aims to:

-          Prevent premature delivery, abruptio placenta, spontaneous abortion.

-          Reduce neonatal infections among prematures and low birth weight babies.

-          Increase the weight of undernourished pregnant women.

 

1. C. Breast- feeding/ Lactating Mothers who are:

-          Undernourished/ underweight mothers

-          Multiparous women, i.e. > 3 pregnancies

Zinc supplementation for 6 months aims to increase the height and weight of their breast- fed babies and to reduce the incidence of diarrheas and pneumonias while exclusively breast- fed.

A Primer on Zinc

Zinc is an important trace mineral that is involved in more than 200 metabolic functions of the body. It provides the following nutritional benefits:

• Zinc boosts immunity by stimulating cell immunity and antibody production

-          Proven to reduce the prevalence of diarrhea by 25 % and pneumonia by 40%.

-          Hastens recovery from acute diarrheas (included in WHO guideline in the management of acute diarrhea)

-          Proven to decrease infant mortality from neonatal infections in prematures.

-          Hastens recovery from severe pneumonias in malnourished children (based on a local study using Zinc gluconate

 

• Zinc increases physical growth of stunted and underweight children.

-          Proven by numerous clinical studies to significantly increase height and weight of stunted/ wasted children including a local study using Zinc gluconate.

 

• Zinc helps improve school performance like math and reading.

-          Supported by a local clinical study using Zinc gluconate in low performing school kids.

 

ZInC Project Technical Working Group

ARTURO C. LUDAN, MD, FPPS, FAAP, FPSPGN

Project Director

MARIA BENNETTE C. KUONG, MD, DPPS

Assistant Project Director

DEOGRACIAS VICTOR M. DANGUILAN

Project Coordinator

 

JOSEPH ROMMEL NUNEZ

Logistics