A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vitamin Ain Mozambican children hospitalized with nonmeasles acute lower respiratory tract infections
Mr. Julien et al., A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of vitamin Ain Mozambican children hospitalized with nonmeasles acute lower respiratory tract infections, TR MED I H, 4(12), 1999, pp. 794-800
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to test the potential of routine
vitamin A supplementation at admission to speed up recovery during hospital
ization for acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) and to decrease
the levels of morbidity at 6 weeks after discharge. The study was conducte
d in the Central Hospital of Maputo (CHM), Mozambique, from 1995 to 1997.
METHODS Children aged 6-72 months with ALRI admitted to the paediatric ward
s of the CHM were assigned to a supplementation group (n = 71, receiving 20
0 000 IU of vitamin A) or a control group (n = 93, receiving a placebo).
RESULTS The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency was very high and similar be
tween the two groups. The median number of inpatient days for the supplemen
tation group was 3, for the placebo group 4 days. On day 5 the rate of clin
ical discharge was 88.4% (n = 61/69) in the experimental intervention group
and 73.9% (n = 65/88) in the placebo group (P = 0.023).
CONCLUSION We found a statistically significant reduction in duration of ad
mission among vitamin A-supplemented children with ALRI. This effect is in
line with what is known about the role of vitamin A in human defence and im
mune mechanisms and with the serological evidence of the extent of vitamin
A deficiency among the children in this trial.