Tolerance of preschoolers to two dosage strengths of vitamin A preparation.
The tolerance to two alternative large-dosage strengths of vitamin A preparation was determined in a double-blind study involving 2471 children in two municipalities in the Philippines. Each child, aged 1-6 y, not suffering from active xerophthalmia or from nausea and/or vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and fever, was randomly given 1 mL of a syrupy suspension later identified to contain 0, 60, or 30 mg vitamin A. Clinical evaluation of subjects was done by physicians 24 h and 1 wk after dosing. Nausea and/or vomiting and headache were twice as common among children given 60 mg than those given 30 mg. Severe vomiting (1.2%) was confined to those given 60 mg. Almost all experienced their symptoms within 24 h after dosing; symptoms lasted for no more than 12-24 h. The incidence of diarrhea and fever for vitamin A recipients was not significantly different from that of those receiving placebo.
Department of Science and Technology, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Manila, Philippines.
R F
RF
Florentino
C C
CC
Tanchoco
A C
AC
Ramos
T S
TS
Mendoza
E P
EP
Natividad
J B
JB
Tangco
A
A
Sommer
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
D014801:Vitamin A