Research Article Volume 8 • Issue 4 224 Affiliation: 1 Department of Paediatrics, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, Bogura, Bangladesh 2 Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh 3 Department of Paediatrics, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi, Bangladesh 4 Department of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands 5 Institute of Biological Sciences (IBSc), University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh *Corresponding author: Moniruzzaman Mollah, Department of Paediatrics, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College, Bogura, Bangladesh. Citation: Moniruzzaman Mollah, Ashik Mosaddik, Asgor Hossain, Andrew Asim Roy, Parvez Hassan. Association of Zinc Deficiency with Anaemia in Under-five Children of Rural Bangladesh: An Observational Study. Journal of Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health. 8 (2024): 224-231. Received: October 22, 2024 Accepted: November 05, 2024 Published: December 05, 2024 Abstract Introduction: Anemia is a major public health challenge worldwide that occurs with a higher prevalence in under-five children who live in rural areas. Like other micronutrients, zinc deficiency may be a new determinant of anaemia. Objectives: This study was designed to find out if there is any association between zinc deficiency and anaemia in preschool children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural Bangladesh from July 2018 to December 2019. Total 428 under-five children were enrolled, of them 61.45% (263) were anaemic. Etiological exploration was conducted among anaemia respondent (n=163) through essential blood tests (CBC, Hb electrophoresis, Ferritin, Vitamin B12 assay, and Folate assay) and of them 36% remained as undifferentiated. These subjects and who are willing to respond were enrolled for further Zinc assay as per study flowchart. Then serum zinc was estimated through the colorimetric method by a semi-automated biochemistry analyzer. Zinc status was defined as deficiency (<69 μg/d), normal (≥69 to <108 μg/dL) and high (≥109 μg/dL). Chi-square (χ 2 ) tests were done to find out the significant factors. Ethical clearance was obtained from IBSc, Rajshahi University. The data were analyzed through SPSS 23 software and at a 95% confidence interval and p values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: The overall prevalence of anaemia was 61.45%. Etiologically, iron deficiency anemia (34%) was observed as the leading pattern followed by inherited hemoglobin disorder (32%) and zinc deficiency (24%). Zinc status (n = 67) revealed, nearly 72 % of anaemic children belonged to low zinc category, 22% had normal status and remaining 6% had high zinc level. Among low zinc category (72%), a proportionate 55% anaemic children independently associated with zinc deficiency alone, which was statistically significant (p < .001). Conclusion: The study indicates nearly one fourth of anaemic population had low level zinc and of them nearly threefourth of the anaemia sufferer independently associated with zinc deficiency alone. Association of Zinc Deficiency with Anaemia in Under-five Children of Rural Bangladesh: An Observational Study Moniruzzaman Mollah MD 1,5* , Ashik Mosaddik 2 , Asgor Hossain 3 , Andrew Asim Roy 4 , Parvez Hassan 5 Keywords: Zinc; Deficiency; Association; Anaemia Introduction Anaemia in childhood is a key public health challenge globally, affecting almost half of all under-five children [1,2] and causing a wide variety of illnesses, including poor physical growth, inadequate behavioral and cognitive development, low school performance, poor immune function, and infection [3]. Poor nutrition or anaemia during the first 1000 days of life may cause irreversible cognitive and physical damages that result in nutritional