Could a simple zinc pill save thousands of newborns from deadly infections?
NCT ID NCT06102044
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving zinc supplements along with standard antibiotics can reduce deaths and improve recovery in young infants (0-59 days old) hospitalized with severe infections like sepsis or pneumonia. About 3,250 babies in Tanzania will receive either zinc or a placebo for 14 days. The goal is to see if zinc lowers the risk of death or the need for extra breathing or blood pressure support.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
About 3,250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
0 to 59 days
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Young infants aged 0-59 days * Diagnosis of clinical severe infection (CSI) * Ability to feed enterally * Intend to stay in the study area for 90 days * Provided informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Prior use of zinc supplements during the current illness * Receipt of antibiotics for \>24 hours before enrollment * Diarrhea at enrollment * Signs suggestive of serious illness/condition that is not clinical severe infection * Previously enrolled in the trial * Enrolled in other research study
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Clinical severe infection are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
RECRUITINGDar es Salaam, Tanzania
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Epidurals and infections: a 49,000-Birth investigation
- Newborn blood spots may reveal hidden risks from common virus
- New study aims to perfect antibiotic dosing for tiny infants
- Massive study tracks meningitis trends in 10,000 kids
- Quick swab test could prevent newborn sepsis
- Booster shot for Moms-to-Be could shield newborns from deadly infections