A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vitamin A in Mozambican children hospitalized with nonmeasles acute lower respiratory tract infections.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to test the potential of routine vitamin A supplementation at admission to speed up recovery during hospitalization for acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) and to decrease the levels of morbidity at 6 weeks after discharge. The study was conducted in the Central Hospital of Maputo (CHM), Mozambique, from 1995 to 1997.


METHODS
Children aged 6-72 months with ALRI admitted to the paediatric wards of the CHM were assigned to a supplementation group (n = 71, receiving 200000 IU of vitamin A) or a control group (n = 93, receiving a placebo).


RESULTS
The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was very high and similar between the two groups. The median number of inpatient days for the supplementation group was 3, for the placebo group 4 days. On day 5 the rate of clinical discharge was 88.4% (n = 61/69) in the experimental intervention group and 73.9% (n = 65/88) in the placebo group (P = 0.023). CONCLUSION We found a statistically significant reduction in duration of admission among vitamin A-supplemented children with ALRI. This effect is in line with what is known about the role of vitamin A in human defence and immune mechanisms and with the serological evidence of the extent of vitamin A deficiency among the children in this trial.
Julien
M R
MR
Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Moçambique.
Gomes
A
A
Varandas
L
L
Rodrigues
P
P
Malveiro
F
F
Aguiar
P
P
Kolsteren
P
P
Stuyft
P
P
Hildebrand
K
K
Labadarios
D
D
Ferrinho
P
P
D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009073:Mozambique; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012923:Social Class; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy
D014801:Vitamin A