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Effects of preconceptional through post‐partum vitamin A supplementation on intellectual, motor, and behavioural development of school‐aged offspring in rural Nepal.
Author(s) -
Buckley Gillian J.,
MurrayKolb Laura E.,
Christian Parul,
Khatry Subarna K.,
Shrestha Sharada Ram,
LeClerq Steven C.,
West Keith P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.lb498
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , vitamin a deficiency , vitamin , placebo , pediatrics , randomized controlled trial , retinol , genetics , biology , alternative medicine , pathology
Vitamin A deficiency in pregnancy is a common nutritional problem in poor countries, especially in South Asia. Moderate‐to‐severe vitamin A deficiency in pregnancy causes gestational night‐blindness, a risk factor for increased mortality in pregnancy and post‐partum. In rural Nepal a randomized, double‐blind, placebo controlled trial carried out from 1994 through 1997 showed that preconceptional through post‐partum weekly supplementation with vitamin A or beta‐carotene reduced maternal mortality by >=40%, but had no effect on fetal loss, infant mortality, neonatal size or infant growth. Participants in this trial received a weekly dose of 7000 ug of retinol equivalents (RE) in an oil‐based capsule, approximating the RDA for pregnant or lactating women (~1000 ug RE). The weekly placebo capsule contained ~100 ug RE. The present study compared the development of peri‐adolescent children born to a subset of mothers randomized to receive vitamin A versus placebo during the trial. Trained assistants tested 381 ten to 13 year old children (mean age 12.3 years, 46% male) using the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) in local village test centers. Trained interviewers administered the Conners' Behavior Ratings to children's parents and teachers. Results to be presented will describe the treatment effect of vitamin A on the UNIT, MABC and Conners' Behavior Ratings, and also describe factors that predict test scores in this setting. Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and the Sight and Life Research Institute.