The study will be a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial in which 250 Ugandan children 1.00-4.99 years of age with SCA will receive zinc (10 mg oral dispersible tablet daily) or placebo (identical to zinc in appearance) for 12 months. The primary study outcome will be incidence of severe or invasive infections. Secondary outcomes will include incidence of all clinical infections, confirmed bacterial infections (by culture or PCR), incidence of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), change in height-for-age z-score, and incidence of zinc-related adverse events.
A randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of zinc to reduce the incidence of severe or invasive infections in Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia (SCA).