[Evaluation of dietary vitamin A intake in children with and without growth retardation].
BACKGROUND
A possible involvement of vitamin A in regulating physiological nocturnal growth hormone secretion has been recently suggested leading us to evaluate the daily vitamin A supply in prepubertal school children.


METHODS
A questionnaire including a list of foods containing vitamin A and/or beta-carotene was answered with the aid of the parents. Vitamin A supply was expressed in retinol-Equivalent and estimated as mean daily intake over a one-year period. Following this methodology, a study was conducted in 104 control school children with normal stature and 110 children with short stature.


RESULTS
The total daily vitamin A intake (mean +/- SD: 1.197 micrograms +/- 799), retinol (675 micrograms +/- 628) and beta carotene (525 micrograms +/- 355) was above or equal to the recommended intake in more than 75% of the control children. In contrast, the total daily vitamin A intake (mean +/- SD: 787 micrograms +/- 850, P < 0.0002) retinol (436 micrograms +/- 670, P < 0.0004) and beta carotene (353 micrograms +/- 466, P < 0.002) was significantly decreased in those children with short stature, more than 35% of them having daily intake below the recommended one. The dietary vitamin A intake was also deficient when expressed as ER/1,000 calories (mean SD = 444 +/- 262) in the 46 children with short stature in whom the calorie intake had been evaluated for three days.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that annual dietary vitamin A intake can easily be measured in school children. Its results suggest that this intake, relatively deficient in children with short stature, could be correlated with deficient secretion of growth-hormone.
Greneche
M O
MO
Service de diététique, hôpital Robert-Debré, Paris, France.
François
L
L
Fjellestad-Paulsen
A
A
Evain-Brion
D
D
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A
Evaluation de l'apport alimentaire en vitamine A chez l'enfant avec et sans retard statural.