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Optimal vitamin A and suboptimal vitamin D status are common in Iranian infants

Beheshteh Olang1, Mohsen Naghavi, Delaram Bastani

  • 1Unit for Public Health Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Beheshteh.olang@ki.se

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|October 19, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin A deficiency was rare in Iranian infants, with 88% having optimal levels. However, 33% of infants showed insufficient vitamin D levels, a condition more prevalent in girls.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Micronutrient Status
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Vitamin A and D are crucial for infant health.
  • Understanding their serum concentrations in infants is vital for public health initiatives.
  • Previous data on vitamin A and D status in Iranian infants is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate serum concentrations of vitamin A and vitamin D in Iranian infants.
  • To determine the prevalence of vitamin A and D deficiency and insufficiency in this population.
  • To identify potential demographic factors associated with suboptimal vitamin levels.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 7112 infants aged 15-23 months across Iran.
  • Utilized unequal cluster sampling with unequal household sizes.
  • Serum vitamin A and D levels were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Main Results:

  • Mean serum vitamin A was 2.09 μmol/L, with rare deficiency (0.7%) and insufficiency (0.5%).
  • Mean serum vitamin D was 61.3 nmol/L; deficiency was rare (2.8%), but insufficiency affected 32.9% of infants.
  • Girls exhibited lower vitamin D concentrations compared to boys (p = 0.006).

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin A deficiency is uncommon in Iranian infants, similar to developed countries.
  • While vitamin D deficiency is rare, a significant proportion (33%) have insufficient levels, particularly girls.
  • Public health strategies may need to address vitamin D insufficiency in Iranian infants, especially among females.
Abstract

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