Nível sérico de zinco e sua associação com deficiência de vitamina A em crianças pré-escolares

OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence of zinc deficiency in a population with high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency; to verify whether zinc deficiency is associated with vitamin A deficiency in the population studied; to verify risk factors for zinc deficiency (sex, age, diarrhea and fever). METHOD: Cross-sectional study of 182 healthy children aged > 24 months and 48 and 48 and < 60 months tended to have lower zinc serum levels than children of other ages. Zinc serum levels were not changed by previous diarrhea and/or fever.