Vitamin A and vitamin E status of rural preschool children in West Java, Indonesia, and their response to oral doses of vitamin A and of vitamin E.
Vitamin A and E status was studied in five groups (satisfactory growth, reduced growth, night blindness, Bitot's spots, and corneal xerosis) of rural Indonesian preschool children. All groups except corneal xerosis showed satisfactory weight-height ratios. Initial serum retinol values were less than 0.35 mumol/L in 34% of all children. After oral administration of 24.4 mumol vitamin A, mean serum retinol values rose from 0.42 to 0.70 mumol/L at 10 d. After oral treatment of children with 244 or 314 mumol vitamin A, mean serum retinol remained greater than 0.56 mumol/L for 165 d. Of particular note were the low mean initial serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations (6.3 mumol/L) and alpha-tocopherol-total lipid ratios (1.5 mumol/g). Total serum lipids fell in the normal range. Oral administration of 84 mumol vitamin E raised serum alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol-total-lipid ratios by 46 and 44%, respectively. Thus, vitamin E inadequacy, which impairs vitamin A absorption and storage, may well contribute to the high incidence of clinical vitamin A deficiency in West Javan children.
Bergen
H R
HR
Division of Biochemical Nutrition, Nutrition Research and Development Center, Bogor, Indonesia.
Natadisastra
G
G
Muhilal
H
H
Dedi
A
A
Karyadi
D
D
Olson
J A
JA
D000284:Administration, Oral; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D008055:Lipids; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E