The Next College Multan

Vitamin A Deficiency

Presented by Guided by

Kainat Tanveer Khan

Dr. M Asad Khan

Submitted for the partial fulfillment

of
BS-HND
in
The Next College Multan

Department of Food Science July - 2021 1

 Content
✔ Abstract
✔ Introduction
✔ Causes & symptoms of VAD
✔ Theory and fundamentals
✔ Objectives
✔ Literature review
✔ Methodology
✔ Data collection / Data analysis
✔ Findings and results
✔ Conclusion
✔ References

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 1. Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) has been recognized as a public-health issue in developing
countries. Economic constraints, sociocultural limitations, insufficient dietary intake,
and poor absorption leading to depleted vitamin A stores in the body have been regarded
as potential determinants of the prevalence of VAD in developing countries. VAD is
exacerbated by lack of education, poor sanitation, absence of new legislation and
enforcement of existing food laws, and week monitoring and surveillance system.
Several recent estimates confirmed higher morbidly and mortality rate among children
and pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age. Xerophthalmia is the
leading cause of preventable childhood blindness with its earliest manifestations as
night blindness and Bitot's spots, followed by blinding keratomalacia, all of which are
the ocular manifestations of VAD. Children need additional vitamin A because they do
not consume enough in their normal diet. There are three general ways for improving
vitamin A status: supplementation, fortification, and dietary diversification

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 3 3

 2. Introduction
Vitamin A deficiency can result from a diet low in vitamin A or an
absorption or liver disorder.
✔ Night blindness is an early symptom.
✔ Blindness can eventually develop.
✔ Eyes, skin, and other tissues become dry and damaged, and infections
develop more often.
✔ The diagnosis is based on symptoms and blood tests.
✔ Taking high doses of vitamin A for several days corrects the deficiency.

Vitamin A (retinol) is necessary for the function of light-sensitive nerve cells

(photoreceptors) in the eye’s retina and thus helps maintain night vision. It
also helps keep the skin and the lining of the lungs, intestine, and urinary tract
healthy and protects against infections. Good sources of vitamin A include
fish liver oils, liver, egg yolks, butter, cream, and fortified milk.

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 4 4

Causes & symptoms
of VAD
 Causes
 o Malnutrition
 o Alcohol consumption
 o Liver toxicity
 o Hyper urination

 Symptoms
• Night Blindness. ...
• Infertility and Trouble Conceiving. ...
• Delayed Growth. ...
• Throat and Chest Infections. ...
• Poor Wound Healing. ...
• Acne and Breakouts

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 3. Theory and fundamentals
✔ Xerophthalmia refers to the ocular manifestations arising from vitamin A
deficiency. These manifestations are the first signs of vitamin A
deficiency that are recognizable clinically without employing
biochemical or histochemical analysis.
✔ Consequently, the term xerophthalmia is used synonymously with
vitamin A deficiency. Xerophthalmia can occur in any age group, but it
is most commonly found in preschool-age children, adolescents, and
pregnant women.
✔ Children are at higher risk of vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia
owing to their greater need for vitamin A to support growth and
development. Because vitamin A acts critically in the maintenance of the
immune response, children experiencing vitamin A deficiency are also at
higher risk of intestinal infestations and infections. These can impair
vitamin A absorption and increase loss of the vitamin.

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 6 6

 4. Objectives
✔ To identify high-risk communities with in the district/Province
✔ To document the number of patients of VAD in different developing Countries

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 5. Literature review

Sr. No. Author Title Source

1 William Vitamin A and provitamin A Present Knowledge in
S. Blaner PhD, carotenoids Nutrition (Eleventh Edition)
(2020)
2 Susanne Vitamin A Deficiency and Its International Encyclopedia
H. Weidner Prevention of Public Health (Second
(2017) Edition)
3 David A. Ross Vitamin A Deficiency and Its International Encyclopedia
(2017) Prevention of Public Health (Second
Edition)
4 Gustavo Vitamin A (retinol) Handbook of Clinical
C. Román Neurology
(2013)

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 8 8

 6. Methodology
✔ A total of 1600 children 3-6 years will be examined in poor households
district Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa. The households will be
selected from the LHWs of the area.
✔ PICO will prepare a recording form for VAD (Night Blindness, Bitot’s
Spots and corneal xerosis) used in primary schools for children 3-6
years. The principle investigator will collect data with the help of teams
of ophthalmic technicians (MLECP) after training them for data
collection.

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 9 9

 7. Data collection / Data analysis
✔ All the data is collected from LHW’s of KPK.
✔ The children of 4-10 years was observed.
✔ The survey is done in the Primary schools of KPK.

Vitamin A Deficiency July - 2021 10 10

 8. Findings and results
✔ A total of 154 children 04-10 years of age were reported to have been
suffering from xerophthalmia from North West Frontier Province of
Pakistan.
✔ One hundred and twenty three children (79%) were age 6 years and
below.
✔ Ninety-four children (61%) had blinding xerophthalmia (corneal
xerosis, corneal ulcer, keratomalacia).
✔ Out of 94 children with blinding xerophthalmia, 73 (78%) of children
were less than 3 years of age.
✔ Ninety-nine children (64%) were male and 55 children (36%) were
female.

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 9. Conclusion
✔ Retinol deficiency is more common in children, age of 3 to 6 years
✔ Vitamin A is important for number of vital body functions
✔ Low in take or life style may cause deficiency
✔ Sever deficiency can cause high mortality rate
✔ Can be mange by the use of vitamin A rich diet

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 10. References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/xerophtha
lmia
2. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/138/10/1835/4669996
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905635/
4. http://www.vitaminsall.com/
5. https://www.moscmm.org/pdf/Lipponcott%20Biochemistry%205th%20Edition.p
df

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