Vitamin A

Vitamin A and mortality in children: Randomized trials (43 trials total) of oral vitamin A supplements in children aged 6 months to 5 years (n=215,633) were analyzed to determine the effect of vitamin A on child mortality. All-cause mortality was reduced by 24% in 17 trials. Mortality associated with diarrhea was reduced by 28% in 7 trials. Reductions in occurrences of diarrhea, measles, and vision problems (night blindness and a medical condition in which the eye fails to produce tears) were reported among those taking vitamin A supplements. In 3 trials, risk of vomiting increased during the first 48 hours of supplementation. These findings are especially relevant to low and middle-income countries since most of the studies were conducted in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. (1)