Alfred Sommer, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Published online: April 2001
DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002106
Vitamin A deficiency is common among children in developing countries, and is responsible for one to two million deaths and half a million new cases of blindness every year. Improving vitamin A status can dramatically improve child health, vision and survival.
Keywords: nutrition; blindness; xerophthalmia; vitamin A; child survival
| References | |
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| Barclay AJG, Foster A and Sommer A (1987) Vitamin A supplements and mortality related to measles: a randomised clinical trial. British Medical Journal 294: 294–296. | |
| report Beaton GH, Martorell R, L’Abbe KA et al. (1992) Effectiveness of vitamin A supplementation in the control of young child morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Summary Report – CIDA, International Nutrition Program, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. | |
| Blackfan K and Wolbach SB (1933) Vitamin A deficiency in infants. A clinical and pathological study. Journal of Pediatrics 5: 679–706. | |
| Coutsoudis A, Kiepiela P, Coovadia HM and Broughton M (1992) Vitamin A supplementation enhances specific IgG antibody levels and total lymphocyte numbers while improving morbidity in measles. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 11: 203–209. | |
| de Pee S, West CE, Permaesih D, Martuti S, Muhilal and Hautvast JGAJ (1998) Orange fruit is more effective than are dark-green, leafy vegetables in increasing serum concentrations of retinol and -carotene in schoolchildren in Indonesia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 68: 1058–1067. | |
| Humphrey JH, West KP Jr and Sommer A (1992) Vitamin A deficiency and attributable mortality among under-5-year-olds. Bulletin of the WHO 70: 225–232. | |
| Hussey GD and Klein M (1990) A randomized, controlled trial of vitamin A in children with severe measles. New England Journal of Medicine 323: 160–164. | |
| Semba RD, Muhilal and Scott AL et al. (1992) Depressed immune response to tetanus in children with vitamin A deficiency. Journal of Nutrition 122: 101–107. | |
| Sommer A, Hussaini G, Muhilal, Tarwotjo I, Susanto J and Saroso JS (1980a) History of nightblindness: a simple tool for xerophthalmia screening. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33: 887–891. | |
| Sommer A, Muhilal, Tarwotjo I, Djunaedi E and Glover J (1980b) Oral versus intramuscular vitamin A in the treatment of xerophthalmia. Lancet 1: 557–559. | |
| West KP Jr, Pokhrel RP, Katz J et al. (1991) Efficacy of vitamin A in reducing preschool child mortality. Lancet 338: 67–71. | |
| West KP Jr, Katz J, Khatry SK et al. (1999) Double blind, cluster randomised trial of low dose supplementation with vitamin A or carotene on mortality related to pregnancy in Nepal. British Medical Journal 318: 570–575. | |
| book WHO/UNICEF/IVACG Task Force (1997) Vitamin A Supplements: a Guide to Their Use in the Treatment and Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency and Xerophthalmia, 2nd edn. Geneva: World Health Organization. | |
| Further Reading | |
| Bloch CE (1921) Clinical investigation of xerophthalmia and dystrophy in infants and young children (xerophthalmia et dystrophia alipogenetica). Journal of Hygiene (Cambridge) 19: 283–301. | |
| McCollum EV and Davis M (1913) The necessity of certain lipins in the diet during growth. Journal of Biology and Chemistry 15: 167–175. | |
| book Sommer A (1982) Nutritional Blindness: Xerophthalmia and Keratomalacia. New York: Oxford University Press. | |
| book Sommer A and West KP Jr (1996) Vitamin A Deficiency: Health, Survival, and Vision. New York: Oxford University Press. | |
| Sommer A, Tarwotjo I, Hussaini G and Susanto D (1983) Increased mortality in children with mild vitamin A deficiency. Lancet 2: 585–588. | |
| Sommer A, Tarwotjo I, Djunaedi E et al. (1986) Impact of vitamin A supplementation on childhood mortality: a randomised controlled community trial. Lancet 1: 1169–1173. | |
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