Zinc sulfate
Minerals
Minerals
A zinc salt that WHO recommends, with oral rehydration, for every child with diarrhoea: it shortens episodes and prevents new ones.
Quick facts
- Group
- Minerals
- Target
- Cofactor of many enzymes; supports gut lining repair and immunity
- Used for
- Acute diarrhoea in children · Zinc deficiency
- Key effects
- Nausea
- Monitor
- Hydration and stool frequency
- ATC
- A12CB01
No doses: the clinician sets them by the current guideline.
Mechanism of action
Zinc is needed for cell division and growth, wound healing, immune function, taste and smell. In children with diarrhoea, zinc supplements shorten the episode, make it less severe and lower the chance of another one in the following months, although exactly how is not fully understood. Zinc deficiency is common worldwide and limits growth and resistance to infection.
- Zinc restores enzyme and immune function
- The intestinal lining recovers faster
- Diarrhoea is shorter and milder; fewer new episodes
Indications
- Acute diarrhoea in children, together with oral rehydration salts, for ten to fourteen days Acute (viral) gastroenteritis →
- Zinc deficiency Zinc deficiency (acrodermatitis enteropathica) →
Adverse effects
Common
- Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea with large amounts
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to the product
Key interactions
- Oral rehydration salts
- Given together in childhood diarrhoea: ORS treats dehydration, zinc shortens the episode
- Copper
- Long-term high zinc intake lowers copper and can cause copper deficiency
What is monitored
- Hydration and stool frequency in diarrhoea
- Growth in children with deficiency
Administration and safety
- The full course is completed even after the diarrhoea stops.
- Infants under six months receive a different regimen.
- Zinc never replaces oral rehydration: both are given.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Zinc is needed for growth and development in pregnancy; supplements beyond needs are avoided.
Nursing care
- Teach caregivers to give zinc every day for the whole course along with oral rehydration salts.
- Check for danger signs of dehydration during diarrhoea.
- Explain that vomiting can occur and does not mean zinc should be stopped without advice.
Pharmacokinetics
- Absorption
- Absorbed by mouth in the small intestine
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What does WHO recommend alongside oral rehydration salts for children with diarrhoea?
Zinc supplements for ten to fourteen days.
Which three benefits does zinc have in childhood diarrhoea?
Shorter duration, less severity and fewer episodes later.
Which mineral can become deficient with long-term excess zinc?
Copper (also iron and magnesium).
Connections
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Zinc supplementation in the management of diarrhoea (World Health Organization (eLENA), 2023); Zinc in diet: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.