Retinol Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Retinol, including details on vitamin a, uses, wrinkle treatment, anti-aging. | ||||||||
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Vitamin A supplementation during war-emergency in Guinea-Bissau 1998-1999.Nielsen J, Benn CS, Balé C, Martins C, Aaby P Bandim Health Project, Apartado 861, 1004 Bissau Codex, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. nls@ssi.dk BACKGROUND: Vitamin A supplementation is recommended by WHO in emergency situations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of Vitamin A supplementation on childhood mortality in an emergency situation. DESIGN: Since this was not a randomised study, we evaluated the impact in different ways; we used the variation in the delay of provision of Vitamin A in a step-wedged design, compared wartime with pre-wartime mortality and examined whether Vitamin A as a free commodity reduced cultural and social-economic inequalities in childhood mortality. SUBJECTS: 5926 children 6 months to 5 years of age, resident in four suburbs in the capital of Guinea-Bissau between October 1, 1998 and March 31, 1999. INTERVENTIONS: From October 1, 1998 until the end of the war in 1999 all children present in the study area were offered Vitamin A at regular three-monthly visits to their homes. RESULTS: Using the variation in the provision of Vitamin A, we found a slight non-significant reduction in mortality for children between 6 months and 5 years of age (mortality ratio (MR) 0.49; 95% CI 0.09-2.70). Comparing with a three-year period before the war, children offered Vitamin A at home during the war had a 12% reduction in mortality (MR 0.88; 0.41-1.87), whereas the overall impact of the war was an 89% increase in mortality (MR 1.89; 1.32-2.71). Vitamin A supplementation was associated with a reduction in cultural and socio-economic inequalities. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin A supplementation may have a beneficial impact on childhood mortality in an emergency situation. Published 12 April 2005 in Acta Trop, 93(3): 275-82.
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