Ocular Manifestations of Vitamin A Deficiency Among the Rural Pre-School Children of North India
Journal Title: Journal of Ophthalmic Science - Year 2015, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
Purpose: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is still a major nutritional problem of public health importance among the rural pre-school children in India, even after the implementation national vitamin A prophylaxis programme for prevention of nutritional blindness and ICDS have been in operation for more than three decades. The purpose of this communication is to assess the prevalence of ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency among rural pre-school children of north India. Methods: A community based cross-section study; adopting multi-stage random sampling procedure was carried out by NNMB among rural pre-school children of four north Indian states viz. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. A total of 36,111 rural pre-school children of 1-5years (Boys: 18408; Girls: 17703) were covered for this study. Results: The prevalence of conjunctival xerosis (2.5%), the first ocular sign of VAD and Bitot’s spot (0.9%), an objective ocular sign of VAD was higher than the cut-off values suggestive of public health nutritional problem among the rural children. While, the prevalence of night blindness, the first symptom VAD was reported among 0.5% of rural children. Similarly, the proportion of rural pre-school children with sub-clinical VAD was 64%, suggestive of severe public health importance. Conclusion: The prevalence of ocular manifestation and sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency was high among the rural children of north India. Therefore, rural communities are encouraged to consume diets rich in vitamin A and administer massive dose vitamin A solution to the children of under five for the prevention and control of vitamin A deficiency and its adverse impact on child morbidity and mortality.
Authors and Affiliations
Nimmathota Arlappa, Nagalla Balakrishna, Avula Laxmaiah, GNV Brahmam
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP326518
- DOI 10.14302/issn.2470-0436.jos-15-818
- Views 109
- Downloads 0
Management of Absent Capsular Support with a new Intraocular Lens Design
Purpose: To describe a new intraocular lens that can be implanted in case of rupture of the posterior capsule and lack of capsular support. Methods: This experimental study was carried out on ten Flanders rabbits. The r...
Influence of Regular Astigmatism on the Human Visual Cortex. A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Purpose: To describe a new functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) method for measuring the influence of regular astigmatism, both against-the-rule (ATR) and with-the-rule (WTR), on the human visual cortex. Settin...
Influence of Visual Impairment on The Quality of Life: A Survey of Patients Reporting at The Low Vision Centre of the Eastern Regional Hospital Of Ghana
Our aim was to evaluate the influence of visual impairment on the quality of life of patients reporting at the low vision centre of the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua. The World Health Organization Quality Of Lif...
Transiently Raised IOP Equivalent to That Experienced During Ocular Surgery Causes Moderate Inflammation but does not Affect Retinal Function or Result in Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in An Animal Model
Purpose: High intraocular pressure (IOP) is known to result in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, both with chronically raised intraocular pressure (such as with glaucoma) and with acute raises in pressure (due to injury...
Rapidly Progressing Visual Loss Associated with Optic Nerve Head Drusen: Is there A Role For Lowering Intraocular Pressure?
Background: Optic nerve head drusen are acellular hyaline deposits located anterior to the lamina cribrosa, frequently associated with visual field defects. Sometimes rapid worsening of vision may occur due to complicat...