How to know if your baby suffers from vit A deficiency!

 

Vit A deficiency 

Vit A is a fat soluble vitamin,it exerts important functions in the body:

1. Formation of the visual pigment.
2. Maintenance of epithelial surface integrity.
3. Formation of mucopolysaccharides in the matrix of bones and teeth.
4. Essential for growth.

Sources of vitamin A

1. Animal fat,milk and milk products,egg yolk,liver, especially cod liver.
2. Yellow and green fruits and vegetables like carrots 🥕.

Daily requirements

4000 IU vit A per day.

Causes of vit A deficiency 

1. Deficient intake(vegetarian diet).
2. Impaired absorption, celiac disease,cholestatic jaundice.
3. Deficient storage as in liver cirrhosis.
4. Hyporoteinemiaas in kwashiorkor.

Manifestation of vit A deficiency

Eye manifestation:

1. Night blindness 
2. Xerophthalmia (dryness of conjunctiva).
3. Keratomalacia(softness of cornea).
4. Corneal ulceration 
5. Bitot spots (dry white plaques on the bulbar conjunctiva).

Skin and mucous membranes:

1. Xerosis of skin.
2. Follicular hyperkeratosis over the buttocks.
3. Recurrent respiratory and urinary infections.

Skeletal system 

1. Faulty epiphyseal bone formation.
2. Retardation of growth.

Prophylaxis:

For the normal children, we give two doses, the first will be 100,000 IU orally at age of 9 . months,the second will be 200,000 IU orally at 18 months.

For high risk children :

1. For infants < 6 months :single oral dose 50,000IU.
2. For infants 6:12months : single oral dose 100,000IU.
3. For infants> 12 months : single oral dose 20,000IU.

Treatment 

1. For infants < 6 months :single oral dose 50,000IU.
2. For infants 6:12months : single oral dose 100,000IU.
3. For infants> 12 months : single oral dose 20,000IU.

Alternatively we can give oral Vit A 5000 to 10,000 IU /day for 2 weeks.

And in malabsorption, raise the dose to 10,000 to 25,000 IU/day for 2 weeks.