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  • Title: Vitamin A deficiency among Brazilian school-aged children in a healthy child service.
    Author: Custodio VI, Daneluzzi JC, Custodio RJ, Del Ciampo LA, Ferraz IS, Martinelli CE, Ricco RG, Cupo P, Hering SE, Meirelles MS, Vannucchi H.
    Journal: Eur J Clin Nutr; 2009 Apr; 63(4):485-90. PubMed ID: 18043701.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a world public health problem contributing to the increase in childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries and severe deficiency of vitamin A may lead to xerophthalmia and blindness. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of VAD among Brazilian school-aged children attended at a primary health unit and to verify if some considered risk factor was associated with VAD in this group. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A descriptive prospective transverse study was conducted on 103 randomly selected children. A total of 54 boys and 49 girls aged 5.5-11 years had the relative dose-response (RDR) test performed on. Possible ocular alterations related to vitamin A and the status of anemia, serum zinc, some acute-phase proteins, and anthropometric situation were determinate by an analytic design. RESULTS: No child presented xerophthalmia. Serum retinol values lower than 1.05 and 0.7 micromol l(-1), respectively were found in 26.2 and 5.8% of the children. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis detected by RDR test was 20.4%. The following variables and their relationship with VAD were evaluated: sex (P=0.33; 95% confidence interval 0.61-4.34), weight and height (P> or =0.5), hemoglobin (P=0.15), C-reactive protein (P=0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.75-18.26), alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein (P=0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.15-15.42) and serum zinc (P=0.31). None of these variables was related to VAD. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, the prevalence of VAD detected could be considered a public health problem. School-aged children can be considered at risk for VAD mainly of a subclinical level, even without some associated risk factors.
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