Prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency among under-five children in South-Western Nigeria

Abolurin, Olufunmilola O; Adegbola, Adebanjo J.; Oyelami, Oyeku Akibu; Adegoke, Samuel Ademola; Bolaji, Oluseye O.

doi:10.4103/npmj.npmj_20_18

“…Vitamin A deficiency in young children is a significant public health concern in Nigeria; a 2006 nationally representative survey of children under 5 years of age in Nigeria reported that rates of VAD ranges from 25–31% [ 28 ]. However, a recent 2018 report of 170 Southwestern Nigerian children under 5 years of age indicated that the rate of VAD was 5.3%, suggesting that there may be regional differences in rates of VAD, or the effectiveness of public health interventions in this area [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status of Retinoids and Carotenoids and Associations with Clinical Outcomes in Maternal-Infant Pairs in Nigeria

Hanson

¹

,

Lyden

²

,

Anderson‐Berry

³

et al. 2018

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Vitamin A is an essential nutrient in pregnancy, and other carotenoids have been independently associated with maternal-infant outcomes. The objective of this study was to quantify the status of vitamin A and carotenoids in Nigerian maternal-infant pairs at delivery, compare these to a cohort from a developed nation, and determine the impact on clinical outcomes. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected in 99 Nigerian mother-infant pairs. Concentrations of lutein + zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α- and β-carotenes, and retinol were measured using HPLC. Descriptive statistics were calculated and Spearman coefficients were used to assess correlations between maternal and cord measurements; Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare median plasma values between dichotomous variables. Linear regression models were used to adjust for relevant confounders. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Thirty-five percent of mothers had plasma retinol concentrations ≤0.70 µmol/L; 82% of infants had plasma retinol concentrations ≤0.70 µmol/L at delivery. Maternal and infant concentrations of vitamin A compounds were highly correlated and were associated with newborn growth and Apgar scores. Despite plasma concentrations of pro-vitamin A carotenoids higher than those reported in other populations, pregnant Nigerian women have a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency. As vitamin A related compounds are modifiable by diet, future research determining the clinical impact of these compounds is warranted.

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“…Due to this high burden of vitamin A deficiency and its clinical consequences, the WHO recommends vitamin A supplementation for infants and children between 6 and 59 months in areas where vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem 5. This intervention has been shown to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 24%1 and reduced the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency over time as reported in some areas in Nigeria 6,7…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

<p>Acute hypervitaminosis A misdiagnosed as malaria in a 7-year-old Nigerian boy</p>

Babatola¹,

Olatunya²,

Ogundare³

et al. 2019

IMCRJ

3

1

0

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Vitamin A supplementation program where single high-dose vitamin A supplements are provided to the qualified (infants and children) at regular intervals is operational in Nigeria as a public health initiative to control vitamin A deficiency which is prevalent in our country in accordance with the WHO recommendations. Reports of symptomatic acute hypervitaminosis A are scarce. We report a case of acute hypervitaminosis A resulting from accidental ingestion of vitamin A supplement capsules. This is to reiterate the need for caregivers to keep drugs out of the reach of children. Clinicians should also have a high index of suspicion.

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“…This finding is consistent with studies done in Sudan, the Tigray region, and India [18]. This might be due to the reason that the big family size had reduced the children's share of energy-, protein-, iron-, and vitamin A-rich sources of foods and led to an increase in the chance of illness resulting in the reduced appetite of children for foods containing vitamin A, and in turn, causing night blindness as a manifestation of vitamin A deficiency [20]. In this study, the children from illiterate mothers were 3 times more likely to have night blindness as compared to the preschool children from literate mothers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Night Blindness and Bitot’s Spots Are Public Health Problems in Lay Armachiho District, Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Bantihun

¹

,

Gonete

²

,

Getie

³

et al. 2020

International Journal of Pediatrics

3

1

0

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Background. Night blindness (XN) is a condition in which a person cannot see in dim light and is the earliest clinical manifestation of vitamin A deficiency. Globally, vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in 122 countries, of which 45 countries have moderate to severe child night blindness. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the prevalence and associated factors of night blindness and Bitot’s spot among children aged 24-59 months. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was employed from February to March 2019 among children aged 24-59 months in the Lay Armachiho District, Amhara region. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive summary statistics were used to describe the study population. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify associated factors. Results. Out of 1007 children, 1.9% and 2.2% had night blindness and Bitot’s spot, respectively. Illiterate mothers ( AOR = 2.94 ; 95 % CI = 1.12 , 6.72 ), age of 48 to 59 months ( AOR = 9.81 ; 95 % CI = 1.24 , 77.36 ), ≥4 family sizes ( AOR = 4.52 ; 95 % CI = 1.02 , 19.90 ), had diarrhea ( AOR = 5.00 ; 95 % CI = 1.73 , 14.54 ), and had a respiratory tract infection ( AOR = 3.14 ; 95 % CI = 1.02 , 9.70 ) were significantly associated with night blindness. Age of 48-59 months ( AOR = 4.23 ; 95 % CI = 1.13 , 14.86 ) and mothers who did not wash their hands after using the toilet ( AOR = 3.02 ; 95 % CI = 1.01 , 9.13 ) were predictor variables for Bitot’s spots. Conclusion. The prevalence of night blindness and Bitot’s spots was high. Child’s age, mother’s educational status, family size, diarrhea in the last 2 weeks, and respiratory tract infection in the last 2 weeks were predictive variables for night blindness. Besides, handwashing practice after using the toilet and child’s age were significantly associated with Bitot’s spot among children. Therefore, both night blindness and Bitot’s spots are a public health problem and call for the attention of health professionals in primary health care facilities.

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Prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency among under-five children in South-Western Nigeria

Abstract: The prevalence of VAD among Nigerian children appears to have reduced, compared with previous reports; however, further studies are required to assess the current national prevalence, so as to design programmes that can achieve further reduction in the proportion of children affected.

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Status of Retinoids and Carotenoids and Associations with Clinical Outcomes in Maternal-Infant Pairs in Nigeria

Status of Retinoids and Carotenoids and Associations with Clinical Outcomes in Maternal-Infant Pairs in Nigeria

<p>Acute hypervitaminosis A misdiagnosed as malaria in a 7-year-old Nigerian boy</p>

Child Night Blindness and Bitot’s Spots Are Public Health Problems in Lay Armachiho District, Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

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