Vitamin A Deficiency Is Prevalent in Children Less Than 5 y of Age in Nigeria

Abstract

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious and widespread public health problem in developing countries. We conducted a nationwide food consumption and nutrition survey in Nigeria to help fomulate strategies to address VAD, among other deficiencies. One objectives was to assess the vitamin A status of children <5 y old. A total of 6480 households with a mother and child <5 y old were randomly sampled. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture and processed to obtain serum for measurement of retinol concentration by HPLC. Nationwide, 29.5% of children <5 y old were vitamin A deficient (serum retinol <0.70 micromol/L). The proportions of children with VAD differed among the agroecological zones; incidences were 31.3% in the dry savanna, 24.0% in the moist savanna, and 29.9% in the humid forest (P < 0.001). More children (P < 0.05) with severe deficiency (serum retinol < 0.35 micromol/L) lived in the humid forest (7.1%) than in the dry (3.1%) or moist savanna (2.4%). The distribution of VA in children <5 y old was 25.6% in the rural sector, 32.6% in the medium, and 25.9% in the urban sector (P < 0.05). In conclusion, VAD is a severe public health problem in Nigeria. Although the proportion of children with low serum vitamin A levels varies agroecologically and across sectors, it is an important public health problem in all zones and sectors.

Prevalence of ocular signs and subclinical vitamin A deficiency and its determinants among rural pre-school children in India

“…The prevalence of retinol concentrations ,20 mg/dl was highest in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Kerala compared with the remaining states. These figures are higher than those in other developing or underdeveloped countries like Sri Lanka (8?2 %) (34) , Columbia (14 %) (35) , Nigeria (29?5 %) (36) and Ethiopia (51 %) (32) .…”

Status of vitamins A and E in schoolchildren in the centre west of Tunisia: a population-based study

“…These vitamins are important for vision, growth, and immune and neurological functions (1,2) . VA deficiency (VAD) is highly prevalent and is associated with increased occurrence of infectious diseases and mortality in several developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South-east Asia (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) . In addition, improving the VA status of children in these countries can reduce morbidity and mortality (10)(11)(12) .…”

Vitamin a and iron deficiency in pregnant women, lactating mothers and their infants in Adamawa State, Nigeria: a prospective cohort study

“…Vitamins and minerals are essential for metabolism in the body. There are two kinds of vitamins namely water soluble (vitamin B 6 ,Biotin,Thiamin,Niacin,Folate,vitamin B 12 , pantothenic acid, Riboflavin and vitamin C) and fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E, and K) Calcium aids in the structure of bones and teeth while sodium helps to regulate body functions like the contractions of the heart and muscles (Harris, et al,2006). Major minerals include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur.…”

“…Major minerals include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur. There also trace minerals such as copper, chromium, fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc (Harris, et al, 2006) this paper will focus on Vitamin A and Iron.…”

“…Iron is derived from diet, from both plant and animal sources. Red meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, eggs, legumes, dried fruits and fortified cereals are sources of Iron (Harris et al, 2006). Iron can be found in the human blood and stored in the liver, spleen and bone marrow (Boyle & Long, 2007).…”