title: Vitamin A deficiency among Kenyan children as detected by conjunctival impression cytology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of Xerophthalmia among Kenyan children aged four to seven years in high risk using Conjuctival Impression Cytology and transfer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional community based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mathare slum in Nairobi and Tiva/Ithiani area of Kitui.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children aged four to seven years residing in the above areas were assessed for both clinical and cytological features of vitamin A deficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 342 children included in this study, 316 (92.0%) were normal, five (1.5%) had XN, 19 (5.9% had XIA and two (0.6%) had XIB. No signs of corneal Xerophthalmia were seen in this study. Conjuctival impression cytology and transfer (CICT) was used to asses for squamous metaplastic changes associated with Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Seventy five (23.1%) of the children were normal by CICT while 249 (76.9%) were abnormal. In comparing the two areas of study, only 13.2% of the children in Mathare had normal CICT compared to 50% in Kitui. For each of the age groups studied there was significant difference between the two areas with children from Mathare being more deficient than those from Kitui.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VAD is a significant health problem in the high risk areas assessed by CICT in this study.
authors.affiliation: Kenyatta National Hospital, PO Box 29871-KNH, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Munene
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Adala
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Masinde
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Rana
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*