VITAMIN-A SUPPLEMENTATION DOES NOT IMPROVE GROWTH OF PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN - A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND FIELD TRIAL IN SOUTH-INDIA

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in an ongoing growth monitoring research project in TamilNadu, India, to assess the role of high dose vitamin A supplementation on the growth o f mild to moderately malnourished children <3 y old. The treatment gro up received 60 mg of vitamin A and the control group received a placeb o every 4 mo. Infants 6-11 mo of age received only 30 mg of vitamin A. Cases of xerophthalmia and severe malnutrition were excluded. Anthrop ometric measurements and serum retinol determinations were made at bas eline and at the end of 1 y. The two groups were similar at baseline i n nutritional status, serum retinol, age-sex composition and other soc io-demographic indicators. The mean height increments were 9.20 +/- 3. 51 and 9.01 +/- 3.41 cm/y for the vitamin A-treated (n = 310) and plac ebo (n = 282) groups, respectively, and the mean weight increments wer e 2.02 +/- 0.83 and 1.99 +/- 0.81 kg/ y, respectively. The differences in growth increments between the two groups were not statistically si gnificant. These findings remain unaltered following multivariate anal ysis and suggest the lack of an effect of vitamin A supplementation on growth in young children where access to health care and immunization are good.