Although there has been hope that supplementation with
multiple micronutrients might be more beneficial that supplementation
with a single micronutrient, especially because deficiencies
in one micronutrient may limit the functional activity of
other micronutrients [30], very few micronutrient fortification
trials in preschool children have examined the morbidity of
infectious disease. A recent South African trial was unable to
detect a morbidity decrease in children supplemented with
multiple micronutrients for 6 mo [31]. A similar result was
observed in Indonesian infants, where multiple micronutrient
supplements improved micronutrient status and anemia but not
growth and morbidity [32]. Lopez de Romana G et al. [33] also
documented that none of the multiple micronutrient supplements
tested prevented growth faltering or the morbidities