Effects of vitamin A on growth of vitamin A-deficient children: field studies in Nepal

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 127; no. 10; pp. 1957 - 1965
• Main Authors: West, K.P. Jr. (Johns Hopkins Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Baltimore, MD.), LeClerq, S.C, Shrestha, S.R, Wu, L.S.F, Pradhan, E.K, Khatry, S.K, Katz, J, Adhikari, R, Sommer, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Nutritional Sciences 01.10.1997; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: ANTHROPOMETRIC DIMENSIONS; Anthropometry; Biological and medical sciences; BODY MEASUREMENTS; BODY WEIGHT; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; COMPLEMENT ALIMENTAIRE; Dietary supplements; DISEASE COURSE; ENFANT EN AGE PRESCOLAIRE; ESTADO NUTRICIONAL; ETAT NUTRITIONNEL; Female; Growth - drug effects; Health Status; Humans; Infant; Male; Malnutrition; Medical sciences; MEDICION DEL CUERPO; MENSURATION CORPORELLE; Metabolic diseases; NEPAL; NINOS DE EDAD PREESCOLAR; NUTRITIONAL STATUS; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); PATHOGENESE; PATHOGENESIS; PATOGENESIS; PESO CORPORAL; Physical growth; POIDS CORPOREL; PRESCHOOL CHILDREN; RETINOL; RURAL AREAS; Rural Health; SUPLEMENTOS; SUPPLEMENTS; Vitamin A; Vitamin A - administration & dosage; Vitamin A Deficiency - complications; Vitamin A Deficiency - drug therapy; VITAMINAS; VITAMINE; VITAMINS; XEROFTALMIA; XEROPHTALMIE; XEROPHTHALMIA; Xerophthalmia - drug therapy; Xerophthalmia - etiology; ZONAS RURALES; ZONE RURALE; Asia; Nepal; Human; Growth; Deficiency; Vitamin; Supplementation; Xerophthalmia; Child; Weight gain; Retinol
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/127.10.1957

Inconsistencies have been observed in the impact of vitamin A (VA) supplementation on early child growth. To help clarify this issue, a cohort of 3377 rural Nepalese, nonxerophthalmic children 12-60 mo of age were randomized by ward to receive vitamin A [60,000 micrograms retinol equivalents (RE)] or placebo-control (300 RE) supplementation once every 4 mo and followed for 16 mo. VA had no impact on annual weight gain or linear growth. However, arm circumference (AC) and muscle area (MA) growth improved in VA recipients, by 0.13 cm and 25 mm2, respectively, over controls. Growth of children with xerophthalmia, who were treated with greater than or equal to 120,000 RE at base line, was also compared to that of nonxerophthalmic children, stratified by initial wasting status, and adjusted for sex, baseline age and measurement status. Among initially nonwasted children (AC greater than or equal to 13.5 cm), VA-treated xerophthalmic children (n = 86) gained 0.7 cm more in linear growth than nonxerophthalmic children. Among initially wasted children (AC 13.5 cm), VA-treated children (n