DIETARY VITAMIN-A INTAKE AND THE INCIDENCE OF DIARRHEA AND RESPIRATORY-INFECTION AMONG SUDANESE CHILDREN

The relationship of vitamin A deficiency and child survival has been d ocumented in a number of studies but not in others, yet the relationsh ip of vitamin A with child morbidity remains controversial. We prospec tively examined the relationship of dietary vitamin A intake and the i ncidences of diarrhea and respiratory infection among 28,753 Sudanese children between the ages of 6 mo and 6 y. Total dietary vitamin A int ake was strongly and inversely associated with the risk of diarrhea (m ultivariate risk in top relative to bottom quintile = 0.58, 95% confid ence interval 0.47-0.72); we also observed a strong inverse associatio n with the risk of having cough and fever (0.60, 0.45-0.81). On the ot her hand, we noted a significantly positive association of dietary vit amin A intake and incidence of cough alone (1.69, 1.52-1.88), a sign t hat may be associated with a healthy respiratory epithelium. Vitamin A intake was also negatively associated with the risk of measles. These prospective data emphasize the importance of adequate dietary vitamin A intake to protect the health of children in developing countries.