Vitamin A status of children in Sri Lanka.
Am J Clin Nutr
; 32(1): 84-91, 1979 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-310639
ABSTRACT
A representative country-wide rural nutrition status survey determined the extent and distribution of vitamin A deficiency in Sri Lanka in children 6 through 71 months of age. Trained paramedical personnel recorded the presence or absence of selected ophthalmological signs and symptoms associated with vitamin A deficiency in 13,450 children. The results of the country-wide clinical survey indicate that a vitamin A deficiency problem of public health importance may exist in two of 15 health areas. Serum vitamin A levels were determined on 346 survey children from two of 15 health areas and compared with clinical findings for these areas. The lowest mean serum vitamin A, 26.3 microgram/100 ml, occurred in children with clinical eye findings. A high prevalence of clinical eye findings, 34%, and the low mean serum vitamin A value, 28.2 microgram/100 ml, were found in the group of chronically undernourished children--children who are less than 90% of their expected height for age. The survey results enabled planned redirection of the distribution of vitamin A capsules to preschool children in Sri Lanka to areas shown to have the highest prevalences of ophthalmological signs and symptoms and/or the highest prevalence of chronic undernutrition.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Deficiência de Vitamina A
/
Cegueira Noturna
/
Opacidade da Córnea
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
1979
Tipo de documento:
Article