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Assessment of vitamin A nutriture in preschool children--a multi-approach
G Kothari1, L I Bhattacharjee, E G Naik
1Bombay Slums Project, India.
Insights
Impression cytology effectively detects early vitamin A deficiency in children. This method correlates well with other indicators, showing keratinization in buccal cells even in subclinical cases.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Xerophthalmia, a condition linked to vitamin A deficiency, can cause vision impairment in children.
- Impression cytology has shown potential for diagnosing mild xerophthalmia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate vitamin A status in 150 preschool children using a multi-pronged approach.
- To examine the correlation between impression cytology and other vitamin A status indicators.
Main Methods:
- Assessed vitamin A nutriture in 150 preschool children.
- Utilized impression cytology as one method to evaluate vitamin A status.
- Correlated impression cytology findings with other established indicators of vitamin A status.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was observed between impression cytology and other indicators of vitamin A status.
- Keratinization of buccal mucosal cells was closely linked to vitamin A deficiency.
- This correlation was evident even in subclinical states of vitamin A deficiency.
Conclusions:
- Impression cytology is a reliable method for assessing vitamin A status in preschool children.
- The test can detect subclinical vitamin A deficiency by identifying buccal cell keratinization.
- This diagnostic approach aids in early intervention for vitamin A deficiency.
Abstract:
Previous studies suggest that impression cytology may be a reliable test to detect mild xerophthalmia in young children. The present study was conducted to assess Vitamin A nutriture in 150 preschool children through a multi-approach, wherein the correlation of impression cytology, with other indicators of Vitamin-A status was examined. A close correlation between keratinization of buccal mucosal cells and vitamin A deficiency even in subclinical states has been noted.