title: Neonatal vitamin A deficiency and its impact on acute respiratory infections among preschool Inuit children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess if vitamin A concentration in umbilical cord blood is associated with incidence and severity of respiratory infections in preschool Inuit children from Nunavik (Québec, Canada).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical charts of 305 children were reviewed from 0 to 5 years of age. The association between vitamin A concentration in umbilical cord plasma and the incidence rates of acute otitis media (AOM), lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and hospitalization rates for LRTIs was evaluated using Poisson regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to children with vitamin A concentration > or =20 microg/dl, adjusted rate ratios (RR) for children below 20 microg/dl ranged between 1.06-1.62 for AOM, 1.12-1.34 for LRTIs, and 1.09-1.43 for hospitalization for LRTIs. Most RRs were statistically significant for AOM and LRTIs, but not for hospitalization for LRTIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonatal vitamin A deficiency appears to be a significant risk factor for AOM and LRTIs in this population.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Unit, Laval University Medical Center-CHUL, Quebec City, Quebec.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dallaire
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vézina
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muckle
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruneau
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ayotte
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dewailly
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000367:Age Factors; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D014470:Umbilical Cord; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D