Níveis plasmáticos de vitamina A em crianças carentes com pneumonia na fase aguda e após recuperação

Abstract

Suggested citation: da Silva R, Lopes Jr E, Sarni RO, Taddei JA. Plasma vitamin A levels in deprived children with pneumonia during the acute phase and after recovery. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2005;81:162-8. AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to examine the plasma retinol of children in the acute phase of pneumonia and after recovery and to investigate the association between plasma levels of retinol after recovery with socioeconomic variables, nutritional status and severity of pneumonia.Methods: A prospective cohort study which included 40 low-income hospitalized children with pneumonia, aged 6 months to 5 years. We evaluated: plasma retinol level during the acute phase and after recovery, years of schooling of the head of the family, per capita income, birth weight, nutritional status, hemoglobin levels and severity of pneumonia.Results: Mean plasma retinol levels were significantly higher after recovery than during the acute phase of infection (1.4±0.6 vs. 1.7±0.6 µmol/l, p = 0.03). The frequency of inadequate plasma retinol levels (< 1.05 µmol/l) was 32.5 and 17.5% for the acute phase and after recovery, respectively. There were no statistically significant associations between plasma retinol deficiency and the clinical and epidemiological variables studied. More severe pneumonia was observed in 30/40 (75%) of the patients. There was no statistically significant association between plasma retinol inadequacy after recovery and severity of pneumonia (4/30 13.3% vs. 3/10 30.0%, p = 0.34).Conclusion: Serum retinol levels were significantly higher after recovery than during the acute phase of pneumonia. There was no statistically significant association between the deficiency of serum retinol and the clinical and epidemiological variables studied.J Pediatr (Rio J). 2005;81(2):162-8: Vitamin A, nutritional status, children, pneumonia.

Citologia de impressão conjuntival em crianças desnutridas graves hospitalizadas

“…Isto não descarta, no entanto, sua possível relação clínica e, sobretudo epidemiológica, de tal modo que a mortalidade por doenças infecciosas, especialmente diarréias e infecção respiratória aguda (IRA), é considerada como um dos indicadores indiretos da própria DVA. 29,30 Finalmente, a constatação de que 43,9% das crianças tinham uma doença de base, ou seja, uma doença de média ou severa gravidade, com uma importância clínica e duração prolongada, representa um importante fator de risco para a instalação da DEP grave e da DVA.…”

Effects of Vitamin A supplementation on child morbidity: A twenty-year time series analysis in the northeastern region of Brazil

“…Although there is some consensus in terms of the medical benefits of vitamin A for immunity [5,12], and some population studies that show the positive influence of supplementation on child mortality and morbidity [5,6], doubts about the benefit of vitamin A supplementation remain. The Indonesian placebo-controlled double blind trial showed a 39 % increase in the incidence of infection of the lower airways in supplemented children [2], and a placebo-controlled study conducted in Ghana showed similar findings [3].…”