Absorption of vitamin A in children with ascariasis.

Absorption of labelled vitamin A was studied in normal children and in children with round-worm infestation. Absorption of the vitamin was significantly low in children with ascariasis. In two subjects, in whom the studies were repeated, absorption of vitamin A was significantly increased after antihelminthic treatment. These results suggest that ascariasis may aggravate vitamin A deficiency by interfering with the absorption of the vitamin.