The Prevalence of Inadequate Vitamin A Nutriture in Preschool Children of North and Northeast Thailand
LUECHA WANARATNA, M.D., M.C.N.*, EMORN VASANTAVISUTHI, Ph.D.**, SANGSOM SINAWAT, M.D., M.C.N.*, V ALLOP THAINEUA, M.D., M.P.H.***
Affiliation : ** Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, Nakornpathom 73170, *** Office of the Inspector General, Office of the Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.
Abstract Previous surveys have suggested that preschool children in the North and Northeast of Thailand are at risk of inadequate vitamin A nutriture. Therefore, vitamin A status was assessed in 996 children aged 2-6 years in the North and Northeast Thailand during the dry (Feb.-April) and rainy (Sept.-Nov.) seasons. Approximately I per cent of samples during both periods exhibited serum retinol concentrations below 10 mcg/dl with means (± SD) concentration of 29±9.8 mcg/dl in the dry season and 37±15.4 mcg/dl in the rainy season. About one fifth of the studied children showed abnormal CIC and depleted liver stores (RDR > 20% ). High risk areas were ranked and corresponded well by these 2 indicators. Therefore, it is concluded that the magnitude of the problem estimated by RDR and CIC are a more precise measurement of marginal vitamin A status than serum vitamin A level alone and about one-fifth of preschool children in the North and Northeast regions of Thailand experience subclinical vitamin A deficiency.
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