scholarly journals Preparation of a Weaning Food Through Enrichment of Maize Meal with Potatoes (Ipomea batatas) Also Known as Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP)

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Mutuku ◽  
MW Mwaniki ◽  
GW Muiruri
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Composite Flour ◽  
Dietary Recommendations ◽  
Weaning Food ◽  
Sweet Potatoes ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Maize Meal

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and xerophthalmia is prevalent and contribute to morbidity and mortality especially in young children in developing countries. Vitamin A deficiency contributes up to 23% lives lost in children aged 6 to 59 months. Thanks to huge requirements in children aged less than 59 months, vitamin A supplementation has been adopted by countries with support from UNICEF and other development partners. Without vitamin A supplementation a typical child in a developing country is not able to attain and maintain the minimally adequate liver retinol stores [Children are vitamin A deficient with liver retinol stores <20 µg/dL (<0.693 µmol/L)]. However, vitamin A supplementation has faced a number of challenges which creates an avenue for other intervention strategies. Dietary diversity is important. Beta carotene is converted to retinol on a function of 1:2, therefore children would have to eat tenfold increase in portion sizes of fruits and vegetables. Food fortification and enrichment of a specific meal that provides the necessary dietary recommendations of the child in less than three food servings that would provide the necessary nutritional requirements at a low cost therefore making it valuable in developing countries.Methods: Four OFSP varieties were procured from Embu in Kenya. The weaning food consisted of 20% maize (white) meal and 100% OFSP. Analysis was done on the composite flour and maize meal for pro-vitamin A. OFSP composite flour samples were analysed for pro vitamin A and comoared with recomended dietary allowance for children 6 to 59 months. The β-carotene nutrient retention of the weaning food was also calculated.Results: two OFSP varieties had the highest pro vitamin A carotenoid content: Tauing (57.10 mg/kg) and Haspot (51.70 mg/kg). Addition of white maize meal was important to improve gelatinization during preparation. One kilogram of maize meal enriched with Tauing variety of sweet potatoes is estimated to contain 50.88 mg/kg pro vitamin A carotenoid .Conclusion: white maize meal enriched with 80% OFSP is estimated to increase pro vitamin A carotenoid intake in children aged 6 to 59 months, contributing to a reduction in vitamin A deficiency in rural households.Keywords: Xerophthalmia; retinol; RDA; Pro-vitamin A carotenoid, weaning food.

scholarly journals Nutritional enhancement of Ghanaian weaning foods using the orange flesh sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas)

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (65) ◽  
pp. 9236-9256
Author(s):  
EA Bonsi ◽  
◽  
WA Plahar ◽  
R Zabawa ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Consumer Acceptability ◽  
Weaning Food ◽  
Nutrient Density ◽  
Weaning Foods ◽  
Maize Meal ◽  
Β Carotene

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in Ghana. Research on the orange flesh sweet potato root has been given prominence because of its high β - carotene content as a means to enhance the nutritive value and vitamin A content of the traditional diets of Ghanaian children as a long -term intervention towards combating VAD. Two Ghanaian cereal -legume weaning foods: roasted maize- soy blend and fermented maize -soy blend were added to Orange Flesh Sweet potato (O FS) flour from the variety, Beauregard, to develop four weaning food formulations . To each product formulation preparation, 25% and 50% OFS flour was added to the basic cereal - legume meals , and mixed thoroughly. The four weaning formulations were evaluated for chemical composition, sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability. All samples had a range of protein (12.1% - 15%), fat (4.8% - 6.4%), carbohydrate (71.1% – 75.1%), energy (380 - 390 kcal/100g) and minerals (calcium, iron and phosphorus) to ensure good nutrient density, while the moisture content was low (5.3% - 6.1%) for storage stability. The contribution of β -carotene ( 55.18 –115.55 ug/g) by the OFS in the formulations further enhanced the nutritive value of all the blends and is enough to meet the daily β -carotene needs of the children ( 1-6 yrs of 400 -450ug/100g). A higher level of β -carotene was seen in the roasted maize meal weaning foods which make s them a better potential blend for combating VAD. Also, sensory evaluation of the products indicated the highest consumer acceptability score (87%) for the roasted maize meal porridge formulation containing 25% OFS . It is, therefore , concluded that OFS flour has the potential to be used at 25% replacement level in the soy- fortified roasted maize meal formulation, and OFS is a useful ingredient with the potential to improve the β -carotene or vitamin A content of such formulations . This will help alleviate vitamin A deficiency of children in Ghana and other countries with similar problems . It is , therefore, recommended that the orange flesh sweet potato flour be used by mothers as an entry point for enhancing the traditional weaning food preparations .

scholarly journals Biofortified sweet potatoes as a tool to combat vitamin A deficiency: Effect of food processing in carotenoid content

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-424
Author(s):  
Joseana Severo ◽  
Felipe Nardo dos Santos ◽  
Tarcísio Samborski ◽  
Rosane Rodrigues ◽  
Alexandre Furtado Silveira Mello
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Sweet Potatoes ◽  
Effect Of Food

Vitamin A Supplementation and Measles

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 358-359
Author(s):  
Glenn J. Fennelly
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Acute Phase ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Serum Retinol ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation

Vitamin A deficiency resulting from inadequate intake or induced by infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Measles, the major single infectious cause of mortality in children worldwide, is more severe in children who have preexisting vitamin A deficiency. Several recent studies suggest that: 1) measles is associated with depressed serum levels of vitamin A; 2) hyporetinemia, defined as a serum retinol of less than 0.7 µmol/L, is associated with increased mortality from measles, especially in children younger than 2 years of age; and 3) vitamin A will decrease the risk of complications and death when administered during the acute phase of illness (within 5 days of the onset of rash).

scholarly journals Early neonatal vitamin A supplementation and infant mortality: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

2018 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Vitamin A ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Infant Survival ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Maternal Vitamin ◽  
Early Infant ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundBiannual vitamin A supplementation is a well-established survival tool for preschool children 6 months and older in vitamin A deficient populations but this schedule misses the opportunity to intervene on most young infant deaths. Randomised trials of neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS) in the first few days of life to assess its impact on under 6-month mortality in low/middle-income countries have had varying results.MethodsInvestigators of 11 published randomised placebo-controlled NVAS trials (n=163 567 children) reanalysed their data according to an agreed plan and pooled the primary outcomes of mortality from supplementation through 6 and 12 months of age using random effects models and meta-regression. One investigator withdrew but allowed use of the data.FindingsOverall there was no effect of NVAS on infant survival through 6 (risk ratio (RR) 0.97; 95% CI 0.89 to 1.06) or 12 months of age (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.08) but results varied by study population characteristics.NVAS significantly reduced 6-month mortality among the trials conducted in Southern Asia (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.77 to 0.98), in contexts with moderate or severe vitamin A deficiency (defined as 10% or higher proportion of women with serum retinol <0.7 µmol/L or 5% or more women with night blindness) (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.94), early infant mortality was 30 or more per 1000 live births (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.98), 75% or more of infant mortality occurred in the first 6 months of life (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.01), or where >32% mothers had no schooling (RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96). NVAS did not reduce mortality in the first 6 months of life in trials conducted in Africa, in contexts characterised by a low prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, lower rates of infant mortality and where maternal education was more prevalent. There was a suggestion of increased infant mortality in trials conducted in Africa (RR 1.07; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.15).Individual-level characteristics such as sex, birth weight, gestational age and size, age at dosing, parity, time of breast feeding initiation, maternal education and maternal vitamin A supplementation did not modify the impact of NVAS.ConclusionNVAS reduced infant mortality in South Asia, in contexts where the prevalence of maternal vitamin A deficiency is moderate to severe and early infant mortality is high; but it had no beneficial effect on infant survival in Africa, in contexts where the prevalence of maternal vitamin A deficiency is lower, early infant mortality is low.

scholarly journals Effect of vitamin A on severity of acute diarrhea in children

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Marlisye Marpaung ◽  
Supriatmo Supriatmo ◽  
Atan Baas Sinuhaji
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Acute Diarrhea ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Stool Consistency ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Stool Volume ◽  
Group 1

Background Vitamin A deficiency may increase the risk or bea cause of diarrhea. Many studies have been conducted on theefficacy of vitamin A in the management of acute diarrhea, butthe outcomes remain inconclusive.Objective To determine the effectiveness of vitamin A in reducingthe severity of acute diarrhea in children.Methods We performed a single􀁈blind􀁈randomized controlledtrial in the Secanggang District, Langkat Regency, North ofSumatera, from August 2009 to January 2010 in children aged6 months to 5 years, who had diarrheas. Subjects were dividedinto two groups. Group 1 received a single dose of vitamin A(100,000 IU for subjects aged 6 to 11 month old or with bodyweights :s 10 kg, or 200,000 IU for subjects aged 2: 12 month oldor with body weights> 10 kg). Group 2 received a single doseof placebo. The establishment of severity was based on changesin diarrheal frequency, stool consistency, volume and durationof diarrhea after treatment. We performed independent T􀁈testand Chi square tests for statistical analyses. The study was anintention􀁈to􀁈treat analysis.Results We enrolled 120 children who were randomized intotwo groups of 60 subjects each. Group 1, received vitamin Aand group 2 received a placebo. The results showed significantdifferences between the two groups in stool volume starting onthe first day (95%CI 192.30 to 3237.51; P􀁉O.OOI), as well asdiarrheal frequency (P=O.OOl) and stool consistency (P=O.OOl)on the second day observation and duration of diarrhea followingtreatment (95%CI - 40.60 to - 25.79; P􀁉O.OOI;).Conclusions Vitamin A supplementation is effective in reducingthe severity of acute diarrhea in children under five years of age.[Paediatr lndones. 2013;53:125-31.]

scholarly journals Combatting Vitamin A deficiency

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ted H Greiner
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Sweet Potatoes ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Wide Range

Food-based approaches to combat vitamin A deficiency (VAD) continue to be largely ignored by governments and donor agencies. This review deals with common misperceptions as well as constraints that may lay behind this reality. First, high-dose vitamin A capsules provided to preschool age children are no solution for VAD. Second, researchers may assume that it is not possible to standardize foods adequately to study their efficacy in controlled trials. This review summarizes the results of 57 such trials, providing an overview that may assist researchers in making decisions on target groups to study, types of food supplements to provide, quantities, supplementation periods, impacts that are realistic to expect, and sample sizes. Even more complex is to design efficacy trials or impact evaluations of interventions. Again, the paper reviews 40 such trials, providing summary information on approaches, target groups, sample sizes, periods of intervention, and impacts measured using a variety of indicators. There are a number of barriers or constraints that must be planned for and overcome if food-based approaches are to work. This paper reviews several of the most important ones, briefly touching on many of the most effective ways that have been found to overcome them. Food-based approaches can reach all members of the community, are safe for pregnant women, tend to be at least partially sustainable, and confer a wide range of nutritional and other benefits in addition to improving vitamin A status. Food-based approaches are sometimes described as expensive, but this is based on a narrow view. For example, biofortification and dissemination of sweet potatoes cost $9 to $30 per disability-life-year (DALY) gained, while that from VAS was estimated at the estimated cost effectiveness of VAS is $73 per DALY gained. From the community point of view, the economic benefits of food based approaches are likely to subsidize or outweigh their costs.

scholarly journals Cassava with enhanced β-carotene maintains adequate vitamin A status in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) despite substantial cis-isomer content

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Howe ◽  
Bussie Maziya-Dixon ◽  
Sherry A. Tanumihardjo
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Meriones Unguiculatus ◽  
Provitamin A ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Mongolian Gerbils ◽  
Serum Retinol ◽  
Vitamin A Status ◽  
Isomer Content ◽  
Β Carotene

Efforts to increase β-carotene in cassava have been successful, but the ability of high-β-carotene cassava to prevent vitamin A deficiency has not been determined. Two studies investigated the bioefficacy of provitamin A in cassava and compared the effects of carotenoid content and variety on vitamin A status in vitamin A-depleted Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Gerbils were fed a vitamin A-free diet 4 weeks prior to treatment. In Expt 1, treatments (ten gerbils per group) included 45 % high-β-carotene cassava, β-carotene and vitamin A supplements (intake matched to high-β-carotene cassava group), and oil control. In Expt 2, gerbils were fed cassava feeds with 1·8 or 4·3 nmol provitamin A/g prepared with two varieties. Gerbils were killed after 4 weeks. For Expt 1, liver vitamin A was higher (P < 0·05) in the vitamin A (1·45 (sd 0·23) μmol/liver), lower in the control (0·43 (sd 0·10) μmol/liver), but did not differ from the β-carotene group (0·77 (sd 0·12) μmol/liver) when compared with the high-β-carotene cassava group (0·69 (sd 0·20) μmol/liver). The bioconversion factor was 3·7 μg β-carotene to 1 μg retinol (2 mol:1 mol), despite 48 % cis-β-carotene [(Z)-β-carotene] composition in cassava. In Expt 2, cassava feed with 4·3 nmol provitamin A/g maintained vitamin A status. No effect of cassava variety was observed. Serum retinol concentrations did not differ. β-Carotene was detected in livers of gerbils receiving cassava and supplements, but the cis-to-trans ratio in liver differed from intake. Biofortified cassava adequately maintained vitamin A status and was as efficacious as β-carotene supplementation in the gerbil model.

scholarly journals Individual-level predictors of practices of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions for infants and young children in West and Central Africa: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e036350
Author(s):  
Vera Sagalova ◽  
Noel Marie Zagre ◽  
Sebastian Vollmer
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Breastfeeding Initiation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vitamin A Supplementation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Improved Sanitation ◽  
Nutrition Sensitive ◽  
Minimum Dietary Diversity

ObjectivesTo explore the role of individual-level and household-level characteristics for practice of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.DesignSecondary data analysis (cross-sectional).SettingWest and Central Africa.ParticipantsData are from the Demographic and Health Surveys in the time period between 1986 and 2016. The final sample included between 116 325 and 272 238 observations depending on the outcome.Primary and secondary outcome measuresNutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions were identified based on the UNICEF Conceptual Framework for child undernutrition. These were early breastfeeding initiation, minimum dietary diversity, full age-appropriate immunisation, iodised salt usage, vitamin A supplementation, iron supplementation, deworming in children aged 1 to 5, clean cooking fuel, safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Explanatory variables include household, mother and child characteristics. Linear probability models were fitted for each outcome, both unadjusted as well as fully adjusted including primary sampling unit fixed effects.ResultsPrevalence of early breastfeeding initiation was 54.31% (95% CI: 53.22% to 55.41%), minimum dietary diversity 13.89% (95% CI: 13.19% to 14.59%), full age-appropriate immunisation 13.04% (95% CI: 12.49% to 13.59%), iodised salt usage 49.66% (95% CI: 46.79% to 52.53%), vitamin A supplementation 52.87% (95% CI: 51.41% to 54.33%), iron supplementation 10.73% (95% CI: 10.07% to 11.39%), deworming 31.33% (95% CI: 30.06% to 32.60%), clean cooking fuel usage 3.02% (95% CI: 2.66% to 3.38%), safe drinking water 57.85% (95% CI: 56.10% to 59.59%) and improved sanitation 42.49% (95% CI: 40.77% to 44.21%). There was a positive education and wealth gradient for the practices of all interventions except deworming. Higher birth order was positively associated with the practice of early breastfeeding initiation, minimum dietary diversity, vitamin A supplementation and negatively associated with full immunisation and improved sanitation.ConclusionsHousehold, maternal, and child-level characteristics explain practices of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions beyond intervention delivery at the regional level.

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