The role of vitamin A in child growth, development and survival.
Vitamin A is essential for growth, development and survival. For children in deprived settings an adequate vitamin A status may be more critical to survival protection than to growth and development. During infancy breast milk from malnourished mothers is protective against the development of xerophthalmia; it needs to be complemented after six months by other dietary sources of vitamin A to provide full health protection. Correcting the low vitamin A content of breast milk from malnourished mothers within the first four weeks of delivery by a high dose oral vitamin A supplement can be an effective short-term preventive strategy while efforts are made to improve the dietary intake for the long-term solution.
Underwood
B A
BA
World Health Organization, Nutrition Unit, Geneva, Switzerland.
D000818:Animals; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control
D014801:Vitamin A