Xerophthalmia among Nepalese children

A nationwide sample survey was conducted between July 1980 and June 1981 to determine the prevalence of xerophthalmia among Nepalese children. Population proportionate random samples were drawn from the 12 geopolitical subdivisions of the country by employing multistage sampling technique. The survey population was defined as the child population of rural Nepal between the ages of 0 and 14 years. The per cent prevalence of xerophthalmia in Nepal was 1.65 for Bitot's spots, 0.02 for corneal ulcer, and 0.03 for corneal scar. While cases of Bitot's spots were more prevalent in the plains of Nepal, followed by the mountains and the hills, the reverse was true for corneal lesions. Vitamin A deficiency was found to be responsible for one-third of acquired bilateral blindness in preschool children. All corneal cases in the study were accompanied by diarrhea and malnutrition, indicating xerophthalmia to be symptomatic of the whole spectrum of malnutrition.