Serum zinc values in children with congenital heart disease

Background: Some children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) may have increased pulmonary blood flow that causes recurrent bronchopneumonia and congestive heart failure. Serum zinc is reduced in children with pneumonia and patients on diuretics.
Objective: To evaluate the serum zinc level of children with CHD and their controls without CHD.
Method: The subjects were 41 children with CHD confirmed on echocardiography recruited from a paediatric cardiology clinic in a tertiary centre in Nigeria. The controls were 41 children without CHD. Biodata and anthropometric measurements were taken. The serum zinc was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer method.
Result: The mean difference in the serum zinc of the subjects 101.3 ± 21.6μg/dl and controls 106.5 ± 18.3μg/dl, was not significant, p = 0.351.The subjects with pneumonia had a lower mean serum zinc value 89.5 ± 15.0μg/dl compared to those without pneumonia 103.9 ± 22.2μg/dl, p = 0.006. The mean serum zinc values of the subjects on diuretic was not statistically different from those not on diuretic, p = 0.599.
Conclusion: The serum zinc levels of the subjects and controls were not significantly different. Children with CHD and pneumonia had significantly lower zinc level compared to those without pneumonia.