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Abnormal vitamin A cytology and mortality in infants aged 9 months and less with measles

Paul Courtright1, David Fine, Robin L Broadhead

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. kcco@kcmc.ac.tz

Annals of Tropical Paediatrics
|October 9, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Abnormal vitamin A cytology in infants with measles is linked to increased mortality risk. This finding highlights the importance of vitamin A status in young children during measles infection.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Measles is a significant cause of mortality in infants.
  • Vitamin A deficiency is a known risk factor for measles severity.
  • Cytological assessment of vitamin A status can be a valuable diagnostic tool.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between abnormal vitamin A cytology and mortality in infants under 9 months with measles.
  • To identify risk factors for mortality in young measles patients.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study was conducted over 12 months at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi.
  • 116 infants under 9 months with measles were enrolled.
  • Conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) for vitamin A status was performed on 93 children, and mortality data were collected.

Main Results:

  • The overall mortality rate in the study cohort was 16%.
  • Pneumonia on admission (HR 9.58, p=0.0002) and abnormal vitamin A CIC (HR 6.40, p=0.003) were independently associated with increased mortality.
  • Abnormal vitamin A cytology was a significant predictor of fatality.

Conclusions:

  • Abnormal vitamin A cytology is independently associated with increased mortality in infants under 9 months with measles.
  • Assessing vitamin A status via CIC may help identify high-risk infants.
  • These findings underscore the critical role of vitamin A in measles outcomes for young children.

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