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Impact of mass supplementation of vitamin A

H M Swami1, J S Thakur, S P S Bhatia

  • 1Department of Community Medicine, Govt. Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, India.

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|May 29, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Mass supplementation of Vitamin A significantly reduced xerophthalmia and mortality in children. While diarrhea and ARI episodes saw a slight decrease, the primary benefits were in preventing severe vitamin A deficiency and improving survival rates.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a significant global health concern, particularly in children.
  • Xerophthalmia, a severe manifestation of VAD, can lead to irreversible blindness.
  • Diarrhea and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality, and their severity can be influenced by nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of mass Vitamin A supplementation on childhood morbidity from diarrhea and ARI.
  • To assess the impact of Vitamin A supplementation on the prevalence of xerophthalmia.
  • To determine the effect of Vitamin A supplementation on child mortality rates.

Main Methods:

  • Two rounds of age-specific mass Vitamin A solution distribution were conducted in Chandigarh.
  • A cohort of children aged 1-5 years in intervention and control areas were followed monthly for nine months.
  • Morbidity patterns and mortality rates were compared between the intervention and control groups.

Main Results:

  • While not statistically significant, average annual episodes of diarrhea and ARI were lower in children receiving Vitamin A supplementation.
  • A significant decline in vitamin A deficiency was observed, with no cases of Bitot's spot in the intervention group compared to 4.3-5.08% in the control group.
  • Mortality rate was notably higher in the control group (8 per 1000 children) compared to the intervention group, where no deaths were recorded.

Conclusions:

  • Mass Vitamin A supplementation is effective in significantly reducing xerophthalmia.
  • Vitamin A supplementation demonstrated a decline in child mortality in the intervention area.
  • Further research may explore the impact on non-significant reductions in diarrhea and ARI episodes.
Abstract

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