Zinc syrup trial aims to boost appetite in picky toddlers

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 6 to 36 months at screening. * Functional poor appetite for ≥2 weeks with at least one of the following: * Clearly reduced intake versus usual (lower amount of food and/or fewer meals per day); * Prolonged meal duration (\>30 minutes per meal); * Refusal or avoidance of familiar foods previously accepted; * Oppositional feeding behaviors (turning away, crying, gagging/retching, prolonged food holding, lack of cooperation during meals). * No obvious organic cause of poor appetite (e.g., acute infection, gastrointestinal/metabolic disease). * Weight not below -2 SD compared with WHO growth standards. * Parent/guardian provides written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Ongoing acute or chronic illnesses that can affect intake or absorption, including but not limited to: * Acute infections (e.g., tonsillitis, pneumonia, otitis media, viral febrile illness, acute diarrhea); * Chronic conditions affecting digestion or metabolism (e.g., celiac disease, malabsorption syndromes, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes). * Neurodevelopmental or neurological conditions that impair feeding (e.g., cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay). * Current or recent use of medications known to alter appetite or digestion/absorption (e.g., systemic corticosteroids, antiepileptics, prolonged antibiotics). * Use of zinc-containing products or other appetite stimulants within 7 days before screening. * Known hypersensitivity to any component of the study product. * Malabsorption, severe malnutrition, or requirement for specialized nutrition, including: * Confirmed or suspected malabsorption (e.g., celiac disease, severe lactose intolerance, short bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease); * Severe malnutrition per WHO criteria (e.g., weight-for-length Z-score \< -3 SD, nutritional edema, marked loss of subcutaneous fat/muscle); * Physician-prescribed specialized nutrition plans (therapeutic formulas for cow's milk protein allergy, severe malnutrition, tube feeding, or individualized nutrition regimens beyond usual diet). * Nonadherent caregiver or high risk of loss to follow-up as judged by the investigator.