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Vitamin A for treating measles in children
1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 0200. rennie.dsouza@anu.edu.au
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|June 19, 2001
Summary
Vitamin A supplementation for two days significantly reduces mortality and pneumonia in children with measles, especially those under two years old. A single dose showed no mortality benefit.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Measles is a major cause of childhood illness and death, with vitamin A deficiency exacerbating severity.
- The WHO recommends vitamin A for measles in deficient areas, but its efficacy when initiated post-diagnosis requires evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if vitamin A, administered after measles diagnosis, reduces mortality, pneumonia, and other complications in children.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library.
- Studies involving children with measles receiving vitamin A or placebo alongside standard care were included and assessed by two independent reviewers.
Main Results:
- Two doses of vitamin A (200,000 IU) significantly reduced overall mortality (RR=0.36) and pneumonia-specific mortality (RR=0.33) in children with measles, particularly those under two years.
- Vitamin A reduced croup incidence and diarrhea duration but did not significantly impact pneumonia incidence.
- A single 200,000 IU dose of vitamin A did not show a significant reduction in mortality.
Conclusions:
- Two-day vitamin A supplementation is beneficial for reducing measles-related mortality and pneumonia, with greater effects in children under two.
- Further research is needed to compare single versus multiple doses directly.