Editing Diarrhea (section)

====Nutrition====
Proper nutrition is important for health and functioning, including the prevention of infectious diarrhea. It is especially important to young children who do not have a fully developed immune system. [[Zinc deficiency]], a condition often found in children in [[developing countries]] can, even in mild cases, have a significant impact on the development and proper functioning of the human immune system.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Black RE, Sazawal S|title=Zinc and childhood infectious disease morbidity and mortality|journal=The British Journal of Nutrition|volume=85|pages=S125-9|date=May 2001|issue=Suppl 2|pmid=11509100|doi=10.1079/bjn2000304|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Shankar AH, Prasad AS|title=Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection|journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition|volume=68|issue=2 Suppl|pages=447S–463S|date=August 1998|pmid=9701160|doi=10.1093/ajcn/68.2.447S|doi-access=free}}</ref> Indeed, this relationship between zinc deficiency and reduced immune functioning corresponds with an increased severity of infectious diarrhea. Children who have lowered levels of zinc have a greater number of instances of diarrhea, severe diarrhea, and diarrhea associated with fever.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Bahl R, Bhandari N, Hambidge KM, Bhan MK|title=Plasma zinc as a predictor of diarrheal and respiratory morbidity in children in an urban slum setting|journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition|volume=68|issue=2 Suppl|pages=414S–417S|date=August 1998|pmid=9701154|doi=10.1093/ajcn/68.2.414S|doi-access=free}}</ref> Similarly, [[vitamin A deficiency]] can cause an increase in the severity of diarrheal episodes. However, there is some discrepancy when it comes to the impact of vitamin A deficiency on the rate of disease. While some argue that a relationship does not exist between the rate of disease and vitamin A status,<ref>{{cite book|vauthors=Rice AL, West KP, Black RE|chapter=Vitamin A deficiency|veditors=Ezzati M, Lopez AD, Rodgers A, Murray CJ|title=Comparative quantification of health risks: global and regional burden of disease attributes to selected major risk factors.|location=Geneva|publisher=World Health Organization|year=2004|volume=1|pages=211–56, especially 238–240|chapter-url=http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/42792/9241580348_eng_Volume1.pdf|access-date=30 December 2018|archive-date=31 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731084243/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/42792/9241580348_eng_Volume1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> others suggest an increase in the rate associated with deficiency.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Sommer A, Katz J, Tarwotjo I|title=Increased risk of respiratory disease and diarrhea in children with preexisting mild vitamin A deficiency|journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition|volume=40|issue=5|pages=1090–5|date=November 1984|pmid=6496388|doi=10.1093/ajcn/40.5.1090|doi-access=free}}</ref> Given that estimates suggest 127 million preschool children worldwide are vitamin A deficient, this population has the potential for increased risk of disease contraction.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=West KP|title=Extent of vitamin A deficiency among preschool children and women of reproductive age|journal=The Journal of Nutrition|volume=132|issue=9 Suppl|pages=2857S–2866S|date=September 2002|pmid=12221262|doi=10.1093/jn/132.9.2857S|doi-access=free}}</ref>