Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from six months to five years of age
Imdad A, Mayo-Wilson E, Haykal MR, Regan A, Sidhu J, Smith A, et al.
Published in Cochrane Database Syst Rev, Vol. 3 (3), pp. CD008524
Methodology
Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of 47 randomised and cluster-randomised trials (about 1.2 million children) of synthetic vitamin A supplementation in community-dwelling children aged 6 months to 5 years, mostly in Asia and Africa, with GRADE certainty ratings.
Key Findings
Supplementation reduced all-cause mortality by 12% (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.93; 19 trials, high certainty) and diarrhoea deaths by 12%. It reduced night blindness (RR 0.32), Bitot's spots (RR 0.42) and biochemical deficiency (RR 0.71), but not deaths from measles or respiratory disease. Vomiting within 48 hours roughly doubled (RR 1.97).
Conclusions
Vitamin A supplementation is associated with a clinically meaningful reduction in illness and death in young children in low- and middle-income countries; further placebo-controlled trials would not change this.
Limitations
Trials were set in populations where deficiency is common, so results do not transfer to well-nourished children; several outcomes rest on low-certainty evidence; no new trials since 2017.
Supplements Studied
VAS is associated with a clinically meaningful reduction in morbidity and mortality in children
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
Access Study
This information is for educational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.