Serum vitamin A concentrations and growth in children and adolescents in Gansu Province, China

The association between serum vitamin A concentration and growth was assess ed in a random sample of 650 children aged 0-14 years and 143 adolescents a ged 15-19 years from the four prefectures of Jiayuguan, Linxia, Lanzhou and Tianshui in Gansu Province, China. Serum vitamin A concentrations were mea sured using a high performance liquid chromatograph. Height and weight were measured with standard methods. The results show that serum vitamin A conc entration appeared to be the lowest in the age group 5-9 years which was on ly 0.28 mg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.27-0.30) in males and 0.30 m g/mL (95% CI: 0.28-0.32) in females; and then it gradually increased with a ge. There was no statistically significant difference between males and fem ales in any of the age groups. There were statistically significant correla tions between Vitamin A and weight (r = 0.37; P < 0.001) and body mass inde x (r = 0.26; P < 0.001). This study suggests that serum vitamin A concentra tions in children and adolescents may affect child growth. Concerted effort s to improve vitamin A status from a very early age become increasingly imp ortant if vitamin A has a genuine impact on child growth.