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Subclinical vitamin A deficiency in undersix children in Nagpur, India

D W Khandait1, N D Vasudeo, S P Zodpey

  • 1Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Government Medical College, Nagpur, India.

The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health
|January 14, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Subclinical vitamin A deficiency affects 35.7% of children under six in Nagpur

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional epidemiology
  • Public health
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Subclinical vitamin A deficiency poses a significant public health risk in developing nations.
  • Early detection and intervention are crucial to prevent irreversible health consequences like xerophthalmia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency in urban slum children under six years old in Nagpur, India.
  • To identify potential risk factors associated with this deficiency.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 308 non-xerophthalmic children under six.
  • Conjunctival impression cytology was used as the diagnostic method.
  • Random sampling was employed in urban slums of Nagpur.

Main Results:

  • A high prevalence of 35.7% for subclinical vitamin A deficiency was found.
  • The deficiency showed a non-significant association with increasing age.
  • Severely malnourished children exhibited a higher prevalence of the deficiency.

Conclusions:

  • The observed prevalence significantly exceeds WHO criteria, necessitating community-wide interventions.
  • Undiagnosed subclinical vitamin A deficiency in apparently healthy children can lead to severe outcomes if infections occur.
  • Timely vitamin A supplementation is critical to mitigate the risk of xerophthalmia and its complications.

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