Vitamin A deficiency and corneal ulceration in south-east Nepal: implications for preventing blindness in children.
A retrospective review of the outpatient records of 4601 children aged 0-10 years who had been seen between January 1986 and December 1988 at Lahan Eye Hospital, south-east Nepal, revealed that 15.4% had evidence of active or past xerophthalmia. Of 293 children with corneal xerosis or corneal ulcer, 49% had been examined in the 4-month period May-August. The peak age for active noncorneal xerophthalmia was 5 years and for active corneal xerophthalmia, 3 years. Previous population-based studies in Nepal have documented the presence of noncorneal xerophthalmia (Bitot's spots) in children. The present study confirms that vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of blindness and loss of vision among children in the eastern plains of Nepal.
Hennig
A
A
International Centre for Eye Health, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, England.
Foster
A
A
Shrestha
S P
SP
Pokhrel
R P
RP
D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology