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Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the mean duration of hospital stay and the time taken to achieve early remission in children diagnosed with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS), with and without zinc supplementation. The study intended to explore whether the addition of zinc to standard steroid therapy could lead to faster recovery and reduce the burden of prolonged hospitalization in pediatric patients.
Study design: Randomized controlled trial
Place and duration of study: This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Medicine and Nephrology, The Children’s Hospital & University of Child Health Sciences, Lahore, over a duration from December 3, 2024 to June 3, 2025.
Methodology: A total of 98 children aged between 2 to 10 years, newly diagnosed with SSNS, were included in the study using non-probability consecutive sampling. Participants were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A received the standard corticosteroid therapy alone, while Group B received corticosteroid therapy along with oral zinc supplementation at a dose of 20 mg/day for two weeks. All patients were closely monitored for time to achieve remission (based on three consecutive early morning urine samples with nil or trace protein) and total hospital stay. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, and outcomes were compared between the two groups.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that children in the zinc-supplemented group achieved remission significantly earlier compared to those in the control group. The mean time to remission in the zinc group was 11.8 ± 3.96 days, whereas it was 18.3 ± 5.14 days in the control group (p < 0.001). Similarly, the average duration of hospital stay was also shorter in the zinc group (13.07 ± 4.86 days) compared to the control group (20.50 ± 7.06 days), which was statistically significant (p < 0.001). No significant side effects or adverse reactions to zinc were observed during the study period, and zinc therapy was well tolerated.
Conclusion: The addition of zinc supplementation to standard corticosteroid therapy in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome showed promising results. It significantly reduced the duration of hospital stay and expedited the time to achieve remission. Considering the safety, affordability, and accessibility of zinc, its role as an adjunctive therapy should be further explored and potentially integrated into standard treatment protocols for pediatric nephrotic syndrome, especially in resource-limited settings.