The December 9th, 1999 edition of the Journal of Pediatrics featured the pooled results of 10 studies involving children in 9 countries. When zinc-deficient children received zinc supplements, childhood infection rates plummeted. We've known that in some children, giving zinc has prevented colds and flu. In this report, diarrheal illnesses dropped by 25% and pneumonia dropped by over 40% (making it more powerful at preventing pneumonia than any other intervention to date).