For infants under 6 months with acute diarrhea, what is the recommended daily zinc dose?

• A. 5 mg per day
• B. 10 mg per day
• C. 15 mg per day
• D. 20 mg per day

Answer: (B)

Zinc helps shorten the duration and lessen the severity of acute diarrhea in young children, and the dosing is based on age. For infants under six months, the appropriate daily amount of elemental zinc is 10 mg, typically given for about two weeks. This smaller dose suits their smaller body size and still provides the diarrheal benefits. Higher doses are used in older children (for example, 20 mg daily in the 6 months to 5 years age range), while a dose as low as 5 mg would be unlikely to achieve the same effect in this younger group.