[Tolerance to vitamin C in malnourished children]

Although the concentration of ascorbic acid in the serum of malnourished children is usually low, the state in which organic reserves of this vitamin were found, were unknown. Based on this information, a tolerance study, before and after a saturation period, was planned. The main idea of the investigation was to find out the organic reserves of this nutriment in infants complaining of severe malnutrition. The study was carried out in 12 malnourished children with ages between 3 to 30 months. After a fasting period of 8 hours, a blood sample was taken and each patient was given 200 mgs. ascorbic acid by intramuscular route; following this, blood samples were obtained every hour on 4 occasions. During the next 5 days they were given 1 g. daily of vitamin C and on the 6th day, the tolerance test was repeated. With the purpose of determining excretion of vitamin C, urine was collected 12 hours previously and 12 hours after each study. The results showed a significant statistical difference in responses obtained with the load of vitamin C before and after the course of the saturation period; this finding allows the statement that the organic tissues of the malnourished child keep a short reserve of this vitamin, although it does not reach the critical levels of 0.3 mg/100 ml when the clinical signs of the specific deficiency to this nutriment appear.