Resumo

DE ABREU, Jorge et al. Deficiencia de vitamina A en niños desnutridos moderados de una población urbano-marginal de Caracas. An Venez Nutr [online]. 2002, vol.15, n.2, pp.76-86. ISSN 0798-0752.

Inolder to estimate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children with malnutrition, plasma retinol concentration was measured by HPLC, and the relative dose response test (RDR) was applied to 124 children of both sexes and under 10 years of age attended at the Centro de Atención Nutricional Infantil Antímano. After a night of fasting, a blood sample was taken from each child. The medical evaluation emphasized the detection of clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency and recent respiratory and infections history or diarrhea. The adequacy of dietary vitamin A intake was determined by a 24 hour intake recall. The mean of plasma retinal concentration was 28.6 µg/dL; 10.4% had plasma retinol under 20 µg/dL; also, 10.6% of the sample showed RDR values higher than 20%. A higher prevalence was observed in children under 2 years of age (21.2%, p<0.05). In these children, ocular clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency code absent there was a significant relation between a pneumonia history and plasma retinol concentration, but there was no relation between diarrhea and plasma retinal concentration. The mean of vitamin A adequacy intake was 121.2%. These results pointed to the existence of subclinic vitamin A deficiency in the population studied. The severity of the deficiency was higher in children under 2 years of age and requires special attention. This problem did not require vitamin A supplementation, but should be resolved by the nutritional education of the population.

Palavras-chave : Vitamin A; child; protein-energy malnutrition; vitamin A deficiency; socioeconomic factors; Venezuela; Latin America.