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Absorption of vitamin A in children with ascariasis
Insights
Round-worm infestation, or ascariasis, significantly reduces vitamin A absorption in children. Treating ascariasis improves vitamin A absorption, suggesting a link between parasitic infection and vitamin A deficiency.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional science
- Parasitology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Vitamin A is crucial for child development and immune function.
- Ascariasis is a common parasitic infection affecting millions of children globally.
- Impaired nutrient absorption is a known complication of intestinal parasitic infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of ascariasis on vitamin A absorption in children.
- To determine if antihelminthic treatment improves vitamin A absorption in children with ascariasis.
Main Methods:
- Absorption of labelled vitamin A was measured in children with and without ascariasis.
- Studies were repeated in a subset of children after antihelminthic treatment.
Main Results:
- Children with ascariasis showed significantly lower vitamin A absorption compared to normal children.
- Vitamin A absorption significantly increased in children after receiving antihelminthic treatment.
Conclusions:
- Ascariasis negatively affects vitamin A absorption in children.
- Ascariasis may contribute to vitamin A deficiency by impairing vitamin absorption.
- Effective treatment of ascariasis can potentially improve vitamin A status in children.
Abstract:
Absorption of labelled vitamin A was studied in normal children and in children with round-worm infestation. Absorption of the vitamin was significantly low in children with ascariasis. In two subjects, in whom the studies were repeated, absorption of vitamin A was significantly increased after antihelminthic treatment. These results suggest that ascariasis may aggravate vitamin A deficiency by interfering with the absorption of the vitamin.