Vitamin A supplementation in South Africa: Time for reappraisal

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 123-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Dhansay
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation

scholarly journals Liver is widely eaten by preschool children in the Northern Cape province of South Africa: Implications for routine vitamin A supplementation

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha E. Stuijvenberg ◽  
Serina E. Schoeman ◽  
Jana Nel ◽  
Maretha Roux ◽  
Muhammad A. Dhansay
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Northern Cape

scholarly journals Is it time for South Africa to end the routine high-dose vitamin A supplementation programme?

2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (12) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Coutsoudis ◽  
D Sanders ◽  
M A Dhansay ◽  
M E Van Stuijvenberg ◽  
C S Benn
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
High Dose Vitamin

scholarly journals Liver intake in 24–59-month-old children from an impoverished South African community provides enough vitamin A to meet requirements

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 2798-2805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Nel ◽  
Martha E van Stuijvenberg ◽  
Serina E Schoeman ◽  
Muhammad A Dhansay ◽  
Carl J Lombard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
South African ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Daily Vitamin ◽  
African Community ◽  
Retinol Equivalents

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the contribution of liver to the vitamin A intake of 24–59-month-old children from an impoverished South African community where liver is frequently consumed and vitamin A deficiency previously shown to be absent.DesignCross-sectional.SettingNorthern Cape Province, South Africa.SubjectsChildren aged 24–59 months (n 150). Vitamin A intake from liver was assessed using a single 24 h recall and a quantified liver frequency questionnaire. In addition, information on vitamin A intake via the national fortification programme was obtained from the 24 h recall and information on vitamin A supplementation from the Road-to-Health Chart. Height, weight and socio-economic data were also collected.ResultsStunting, underweight and wasting were prevalent in 36·9 %, 25·5 % and 12·1 % of children. Mean daily vitamin A intake from liver was 537 and 325 μg retinol equivalents measured by the 24 h recall and liver frequency questionnaire, respectively. Liver was consumed in 92·7 % of households and by 84·7 % of children; liver intake was inversely related to socio-economic status (P < 0·05). The food fortification programme contributed 80 μg retinol equivalents and the vitamin A supplementation programme 122 μg retinol equivalents to daily vitamin A intake.ConclusionsThe study showed that liver alone provided more than 100 % of the Estimated Average Requirement of the pre-school children in this impoverished community. The results also challenge the notion generally held by international health bodies that vitamin A deficiency, poor anthropometric status and poverty go together, and reinforces the fact that South Africa is a culturally diverse society for which targeted interventions are required.

scholarly journals Impact of Maternal Daily Oral Low-Dose Vitamin A Supplementation on the Mother–Infant Pair: A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial in China

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2370
Author(s):  
Ye Ding ◽  
Ping Hu ◽  
Yue Yang ◽  
Fangping Xu ◽  
Fang Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Breast Milk ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Maternal Vitamin ◽  
Vitamin A Status ◽  
Lactating Mothers

Background: The nutritional status of vitamin A in lactating mothers and infants is still not optimistic. Due to the dietary habits and dietary restrictions of postpartum customs in China, vitamin A supplementation has been advocated as a potential strategy to improve vitamin A status of lactating mothers with inadequate dietary vitamin A intake. Existing clinical trials are limited to single or double high-dose maternal administrations. However, in China, vitamin A supplements are readily available in the form of daily oral low-dose supplements, and the effect of these is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of daily oral low-dose vitamin A supplementation on the retinol levels in the serum and breast milk of lactating mothers and the health status of infants in China. Methods: Lactating mothers who met the inclusion criteria and planned to continue exclusive breastfeeding were randomly assigned to receive either daily oral vitamin A and D drops (one soft capsule of 1800 IU vitamin A and 600 IU vitamin D2), or a matching placebo for 2 months. Before and after the intervention, dietary intake was investigated by instant photography, and the retinol concentration in maternal serum and breast milk was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. During the trial, the health status of infants was diagnosed by a paediatrician or reported by lactating mothers. A total of 245 participants completed the study, with 117 in the supplementation group and 128 in the control group. Results: After the 2-month intervention, maternal serum retinol concentrations increased in the supplementation group with no change in the control group. Although breast milk retinol concentrations decreased significantly in both groups, the decrease in the supplementation group was significantly lower than that in the control group. However, maternal vitamin A supplementation was not associated with a lower risk of infant febrile illness, respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, and eczema. Conclusions: Daily oral low-dose vitamin A supplementation is helpful in improving maternal vitamin A status, despite having no effect on infant health status through breast milk.

scholarly journals Dietary vitamin A supplementation in rats: suppression of leptin and induction of UCP1 mRNA

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 824-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica V. Kumar ◽  
Gregory D. Sunvold ◽  
Philip J. Scarpace
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Dietary Vitamin ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation

Effect of vitamin A supplementation on diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infection in children

1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Biswas ◽  
A. B. Biswas ◽  
B. Manna ◽  
S. K. Bhattacharya ◽  
R. Dey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tract Infection ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infection ◽  
Acute Respiratory Tract Infection ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation

scholarly journals South African preschool children habitually consuming sheep liver and exposed to vitamin A supplementation and fortification have hypervitaminotic A liver stores: a cohort study

2019 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha E van Stuijvenberg ◽  
Muhammad A Dhansay ◽  
Jana Nel ◽  
Devika Suri ◽  
Michael Grahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Total Serum ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Serum Retinol ◽  
Hypervitaminosis A ◽  
Total Liver ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Retinyl Esters

ABSTRACT Background In some regions, multiple vitamin A (VA) interventions occur in the same target groups, which may lead to excessive stores. Retinol isotope dilution (RID) is a more sensitive technique than serum retinol to measure VA status. Objective We evaluated VA status before and after a high-dose supplement in preschool children living in a region in South Africa with habitual liver consumption and exposed to VA supplementation and fortification. Methods After baseline blood samples, subjects (46.7 ± 8.4 mo; n = 94) were administered 1.0 μmol [14,15]-13C2-retinyl acetate to estimate total liver retinol reserves by RID with a follow-up 14-d blood sample. Liver intake was assessed with a frequency questionnaire. In line with current practice, a routine 200,000 IU VA capsule was administered after the RID test. RID was repeated 1 mo later. Serum retinyl esters were evaluated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Results At baseline, 63.6% of these children had hypervitaminosis A defined as total liver retinol reserves ≥1.0 μmol/g liver, which increased to 71.6% after supplementation (1.13 ± 0.43 to 1.29 ± 0.46 μmol/g; P < 0.001). Total serum VA as retinyl esters was elevated in 4.8% and 6.1% of children before and after supplementation. The odds of having hypervitaminosis A at baseline were higher in children consuming liver ≥1/mo (ratio 3.70 [95% CI: 1.08, 12.6]) and in children receiving 2 (4.28 [1.03, 17.9]) or 3 (6.45 [0.64, 65.41]) supplements in the past 12 mo. Total body stores decreased after the supplement in children in the highest quartile at baseline compared with children with lower stores, who showed an increase (P = 0.007). Conclusions In children, such as this cohort in South Africa, with adequate VA intake through diet, and overlapping VA fortification and supplementation, preschool VA capsule distribution should be re-evaluated. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02915731 as NCT02915731.

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