Abstract
An average of 3481 preschool-age rural Indonesian children were re-examined every 3 months for 18 months. The mortality rate among children with mild xerophthalmia (night blindness and/or Bitot's spots) was on average 4 times the rate, and in some age groups 8 to 12 times the rate, among children without xerophthalmia. Mortality increased, almost linearly, with the severity of mild xerophthalmia (night blindness, Bitot's spots, and the two combined). These relations persisted after stratification for respiratory disease, wasting, gastroenteritis, pedal oedema, and childhood exanthems. Mild vitamin A deficiency was directly associated with at least 16% of all deaths in children aged from 1 to 6 years. These results suggest that mild xerophthalmia justifies vigorous community-wide intervention, as much to reduce childhood mortality as to prevent blindness, and that night blindness and Bitot's spots are as important as anthropometric indices in screening children to determine which of them need medical and nutritional attention.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 585-588 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | The Lancet |
| Volume | 322 |
| Issue number | 8350 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 10 1983 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
INCREASED MORTALITY IN CHILDREN WITH MILD VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY. / Sommer, Alfred; Hussaini, Gusti; Tarwotjo, Ignatius; Susanto, Djoko.
In: The Lancet, Vol. 322, No. 8350, 10.09.1983, p. 585-588.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - INCREASED MORTALITY IN CHILDREN WITH MILD VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY
AU - Sommer, Alfred
AU - Hussaini, Gusti
AU - Tarwotjo, Ignatius
AU - Susanto, Djoko
PY - 1983/9/10
Y1 - 1983/9/10
N2 - An average of 3481 preschool-age rural Indonesian children were re-examined every 3 months for 18 months. The mortality rate among children with mild xerophthalmia (night blindness and/or Bitot's spots) was on average 4 times the rate, and in some age groups 8 to 12 times the rate, among children without xerophthalmia. Mortality increased, almost linearly, with the severity of mild xerophthalmia (night blindness, Bitot's spots, and the two combined). These relations persisted after stratification for respiratory disease, wasting, gastroenteritis, pedal oedema, and childhood exanthems. Mild vitamin A deficiency was directly associated with at least 16% of all deaths in children aged from 1 to 6 years. These results suggest that mild xerophthalmia justifies vigorous community-wide intervention, as much to reduce childhood mortality as to prevent blindness, and that night blindness and Bitot's spots are as important as anthropometric indices in screening children to determine which of them need medical and nutritional attention.
AB - An average of 3481 preschool-age rural Indonesian children were re-examined every 3 months for 18 months. The mortality rate among children with mild xerophthalmia (night blindness and/or Bitot's spots) was on average 4 times the rate, and in some age groups 8 to 12 times the rate, among children without xerophthalmia. Mortality increased, almost linearly, with the severity of mild xerophthalmia (night blindness, Bitot's spots, and the two combined). These relations persisted after stratification for respiratory disease, wasting, gastroenteritis, pedal oedema, and childhood exanthems. Mild vitamin A deficiency was directly associated with at least 16% of all deaths in children aged from 1 to 6 years. These results suggest that mild xerophthalmia justifies vigorous community-wide intervention, as much to reduce childhood mortality as to prevent blindness, and that night blindness and Bitot's spots are as important as anthropometric indices in screening children to determine which of them need medical and nutritional attention.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0020556109&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(83)90677-3
DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(83)90677-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 6136744
AN - SCOPUS:0020556109
VL - 322
SP - 585
EP - 588
JO - The Lancet
JF - The Lancet
SN - 0140-6736
IS - 8350
ER -