Impact of vitamin A supplementation on childhood mortality. A randomised controlled community trial
Sommer, A.; Tarwotjo, I.; Djunaedi, E.; West, K.P.; Loeden, A.A.; Tilden, R.; Mele, L.
Lancet 1(8491): 1169-1173
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 2871418 Document Number: 279562
450 villages in northern Sumatra were randomly assigned to either participate in a vitamin A supplementation scheme (n = 229) or serve for 1 year as a control (n = 221). 25,939 preschool children were examined at baseline and again 11 to 13 months later. Capsules containing 200,000 IU vitamin A were distributed to preschool children aged over 1 year by local volunteers 1 to 3 months after baseline enumeration and again 6 months later. Among children aged 12-71 months at baseline, mortality in control villages (75/10 231, 7.3 per 1000) was 49% greater than in those where supplements were given (53/10 919, 4.9 per 1000) (p < 0.05). The impact of vitamin A supplementation seemed to be greater in boys than in girls. These results support earlier observations linking mild vitamin A deficiency to increased mortality and suggest that supplements given to vitamin A deficient populations may decrease mortality by as much as 34%.