Vitamin a deficiency and anaemia in young children living in a malaria endemic district of western Kenya.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin A deficiency makes children vulnerable to infections and influences the outcome of various infections. In 1993 vitamin A deficiency was found to be a public health problem in Bungoma district of western Kenya.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, anaemia and malaria parasitaemia and to correlate these with haemoglobin, ferritin and acute phase response.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Bungoma district of western Kenya.


METHODS
Three hundred and three children aged one to three years were studied.


METHODS
Serum retinol, haemoglobin, serum ferritin, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, C-reactive protein and malaria parasite density.


RESULTS
Twentynine percent of the children had severe vitamin A deficiency, 92% had anaemia (haemoglobin less than 10 g/dl) 24(7%) of these were severely anaemic while 76% had malaria parasitaemia. There was no significant difference in the retinol levels of children with malaria parasitaemia and those without malaria parasitaemia (P = 0.6). Retinol levels were significantly lower among children with high C-reactive protein (P < 0.001). Malaria parasitaemia negatively correlated with haemoglobin (r = -0.13, P < 0.05) and C-reactive protein (r = 0.21, P < 0.01). There was no difference in haemoglobin level of children with normal serum retinol and those with low serum retinol (P = 0.16). Ferritin did not differ significantly among children with normal haemoglobin and those with low haemoglobin (P = 0.13).


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin A deficiency and anaemia are a public health problem among the children studied. The high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency may have resulted from acute phase response induced by infections.
Nabakwe
E C
EC
Department of Child Health and Paediatrics, Moi University, P.O. Box 4606, Eldoret, Kenya.
Lichtenbelt
W Van M
WV
Ngare
D K
DK
Wierik
M
M
Westerterp
K R
KR
Owino
O C
OC
D000367:Age Factors; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
D014801:Vitamin A; D002097:C-Reactive Protein