Nita Bhandari|Bhan Mk|Sunil Sazawal
Impact of massive dose of vitamin A given to preschool children with acute diarrhoea on subsequent respiratory and diarrhoeal morbidity
All India Institute of Medical Sciences|All India Institute of Medical Sciences|All India Institute of Medical Sciences
objectiveto assess impact vitamin supplementation morbidity acute respiratory tract infections diarrhoeadesigndouble blind randomised placebo controlled field trialsettingan urban slum area new delhi indiasubjects900 children aged 1260 months attend ing local health facility acute diarrhoea less seven days duration randomly allocated receive vitamin 200 000 iu placebomain outcome measuresincidence preva lence acute lower respiratory tract infections diarrhoea 90 days termination ofthe enrolment diarrhoeal episode measured twice weekly household surveillanceresultsthe incidence relative risk 107 95 confidence interval 092 126 average number days spent acute lower respiratory tract infections similar vitamin supplemen tation placebo groupsamong children aged 23 months less significant reduction incidence measles relative risk 006 95 confidence interval 001 048the incidence diarrhoea also similar relative risk 095 086 105 two groupsthere 36 reduction mean daily prevalence diarrhoea associated fever vitamin supplemented children older 23 monthsconclusionsresults consistent lack impact acute lower respiratory tract related mortality vitamin supplementation noted trials possible reduction severity diarrhoea