CHILDHOOD VITAMIN-A STATUS AND THE RISK OF OTITIS-MEDIA

Background. It has been suggested that vitamin A deficiency may predis pose to otitis media, Methods. We conducted a prospective, observation al study of 200 children, ages 3 to 5 years, on the island of Saipan i n the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Baseline measureme nts of serum retinol concentrations were obtained from the children, a nd incidence of otitis media was determined during the following year by review of medical records. The sera were also tested for concentrat ion of other carotenoids (be ta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein and z eaxanthin, beta cryptoxanthin, lycopene), and alpha-tocopherol and bas eline concentrations of these compounds were also examined for relatio nship to incidence of otitis media. Results. Serum retinol concentrati ons of the children ranged from 13 to 58 mu g/dl. Episodes of otitis m edia occurred in 22% of children during the follow-up period. Children with low serum retinol concentrations did not have an excess of episo des of otitis media (chi square for trend, 0.438; P = 0.508 for childr en grouped by serum retinol concentration; mean serum retinol concentr ations were 29.1 and 28.6 mu g/dl, respectively, for children who had and did not have a subsequent episode of otitis media). Controlling fo r potential confounding variables (duration of breast feeding, smoking in the household, illness or live virus vaccination in the 2 weeks be fore serum collection, day-care attendance) did not substantially alte r this finding, Baseline serum concentrations of the other carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol also demonstrated no relation to incidence of ot itis media. Conclusion. In the range of serum vitamin concentrations f ound in this population, the status of vitamin A and related compounds in children appeared to have no effect on the incidence of otitis med ia.