Survey Of Serum Vitamin A Levels In Children Aged 1～14 Years From Outpatients In A Provincial Hospital In Hebei Province

Objective: To investigate serum vitamin A levels and deficiency in children aged 1~14 years from outpatients in a provincial hospital in Hebei province and to provide guidance of dietary supplementation of vitamin A for children in the region.Methods: Healthy children aged 1~14 years came to our Pediatric department for health examination from November 2015 and March 2016.640 samples were collected.Determination of serum vitamin A levels in children by high performance liquid chromatography.According to gender,age,vitamin AD drops were taken orally whether or not,the differences in serum vitamin A levels and vitamin A deficiency were analyzed.Results: 1 The basic situation of the surveyA total of 640 healthy children were included in the study.Among them,there were 307 boys,67 children in 1~3 years old,61 children in 4~5 years old,72 children in 6~9 years old,107 children in 10~14 years old.There were 333 girls,42 children in 1~3 years old,39 children in 4~5 years old,79 children in 6~9 years old and 173 children in 10~14 years old.There were 235 children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops,including 17 children in 1~3 years old,21 children in 4~5 years old,56 children in 6~9 years old,and 141 children in 10~14 years old.There were 405 children without oral vitamin AD drops,including 92 children in 1~3 years old,79 children in 4~5 years old,95 children in 6~9 years old and 139 children in 10~14 years old.2 Children’s serum vitamin A levels involved in the study2.1 Comparison of vitamin A levels in children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops and non-oral vitamin AD dropsThe average level of serum vitamin A in children participating in this survey was 1.27±0.33 μmol/L.The average level of vitamin A in children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops was 1.37±0.31μmol/L.The average vitamin A level was 1.26±0.27μmol/L in 1~3 years old,and the average vitamin A level was 1.27±0.32μmol/L in 4~5 years old,the average vitamin A level was 1.26±0.28μmol/L in 6~9 years old,the average vitamin A level was 1.44±0.30μmol/L in 10~14 year old.The average vitamin A level without oral vitamin AD drops was 1.22 ± 0.34μmol/L,of which the average vitamin A level was 1.08±0.31μmol/L in 1~3 year old,the average vitamin A level was 1.09±0.32μmol/L in 4~5 year old,the average vitamin A level was 1.20±0.29μmol/L in 6~9 years old,and the average vitamin A level was 1.39±0.32μmol/L in 10~14 years old.There were significant differences in vitamin A levels in children of the 1~3 years old,the 4~5 years old between children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops and not taking oral vitamin AD drops.2.2 The relationship between vitamin A level and age in childrenThe level of vitamin A in children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops increased with age,and there was a certain correlation(r=0.24,P<0.01);the level of vitamin A in children without oral vitamin AD drops increased with age,and there was a certain correlation(r=0.39,P<0.01).2.3 The relationship between vitamin A level and gender in children involved in the studyThe mean levels of vitamin A in boys and girls with oral vitamin AD drops were 1.39±0.35μmol/L and 1.36±0.08μmol/L respectively.There was no significant difference in vitamin A levels between boys and girls.The mean levels of vitamin A in boys and girls without oral vitamin AD drops were 1.22±0.33μmol/L and 1.21±0.99μmol/L respectively.There was no significant difference in vitamin A levels between boys and girls.3 Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in different ages 3.1 Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children of different ages in totalThe overall prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency(SVAD)in children participating in this survey was 4.22%,and the rate of suspicious subclinical vitamin A deficiency(suspicious SVAD)was 21.72%.Among them,the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 11.01% and 41.28% respectively in the 1~3 years old;the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 9.00% and 39.00% in the 4~5 years old respectively;the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 3.31% and 20.53% in the 6~9 years old;the prevalence of SVAD and suspicious SVAD was 0.36% and 8.57% in the 10~14 years old respectively.3.2 Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children of different ages with oral vitamin AD dropsThe rate of SVAD children with oral vitamin AD drops was 1.30%,and the rate of suspicious SVAD was 10.20%.Among them,the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 5.90% and 17.60% in 1~3 years old respectively;the prevalence of SVAD and suspicious SVAD in 4~5 years old were 4.80% and 19.00% respectively;the prevalence of SVAD and suspicious SVAD in 6~9 years old were 1.80% and 14.30% respectively;the prevalence of SVAD and suspicious SVAD in 10~14 year old was 0% and 7.80% respectively.The results can be seen that the vitamin A deficiency rate shows a decreasing trend with increasing age.3.3 The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children of different ages without oral vitamin AD dropsThe prevalence of SVAD and suspicious SVAD without oral vitamin AD drops was 5.93% and 28.40% respectively.Among them,the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 11.96% and 45.65% in 1~3 years old;the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 10.13% and 44.30% in the 4~5 years old respectively;the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 4.21% and 24.21% in 6~9 years old respectively;the prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 0.72% and 10.79% in 10~14 years old respectively.The results can be seen that the vitamin A deficiency rate also decreases with age.3.4 Comparison of prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in children of different ages undergoing oral vitamin AD drops and non-oral vitamin AD dropsThe total vitamin A deficiency rate in children undergoing oral vitamin AD drops was 11.50% and 34.33% without oral vitamin AD drops.The difference was statistically significant.Among them,the total lack of vitamin A in children with oral vitamin AD drops and non-oral vitamin AD drops of the 1~3 years old was 23.50% and 57.61% respectively;the difference was statistically significant.The total lack of vitamin A in children with oral vitamin AD drops and non-oral vitamin AD drops in the 4~5 years old was 23.80% and 54.43% respectively,and the difference was statistically significant.4 The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in different genderThe overall vitamin A deficiency among children participating in the survey was as follows: SVAD was 4.22%,including 13 boys and 14 girls;suspicious SVAD was 21.72%,including 78 boys and 61 girls.The prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 1.41% and 9.86% for boys undergoing oral vitamin AD drops,and 1.21% and 10.37% for girls undergoing oral vitamin AD drops.The distribution of vitamin A deficiency among boys and girls has no statistically difference.The prevalence rates of SVAD and suspicious SVAD were 5.08% and 30.08% respectively for boys without oral vitamin AD drops,and 7.10% and 26.04% for girls without oral vitamin AD drops.There was no significant difference in the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among boys and girls.5 Analysis of factors affectted the prevalence of vitamin A deficiencyThe results of children in this study showed that there was no correlation between the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and gender.Age was inversely related to the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency.As the children’s age increasing,the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency declining.Conclusion:1.Among children aged 1~14 years old from outpatients in a provincial hospital in Hebei province,those with normal serum vitamin A levels accountted for the majority of the cases.There was no clinical vitamin A deficiency,but the prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency and suspicious subclinical vitamin A deficiency in children were still not optimistic.2.Children aged 1~5 years old who are undergoing oral vitamin AD drops have higher levels of serum vitamin A and lower incidence of vitamin A deficiency than their peers who have not taken oral vitamin AD drops.3.There was no correlation between vitamin A levels and gender in children and there is a certain correlation with age.4.There was no correlation between the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and gender,but there was a negative correlation with age.5.Children aged 1~5 years are high risk of vitamin A deficiency and should be given special attention.The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency can be reduced by selecting vitamin A supplement and appropriate preparation.