Vitamin A deficiency among Kenyan children as detected by conjunctival impression cytology.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of Xerophthalmia among Kenyan children aged four to seven years in high risk using Conjuctival Impression Cytology and transfer.

DESIGN

A cross sectional community based study.

SETTING

Mathare slum in Nairobi and Tiva/Ithiani area of Kitui.

SUBJECTS

Children aged four to seven years residing in the above areas were assessed for both clinical and cytological features of vitamin A deficiency.

RESULTS

Of the 342 children included in this study, 316 (92.0%) were normal, five (1.5%) had XN, 19 (5.9% had XIA and two (0.6%) had XIB. No signs of corneal Xerophthalmia were seen in this study. Conjuctival impression cytology and transfer (CICT) was used to asses for squamous metaplastic changes associated with Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Seventy five (23.1%) of the children were normal by CICT while 249 (76.9%) were abnormal. In comparing the two areas of study, only 13.2% of the children in Mathare had normal CICT compared to 50% in Kitui. For each of the age groups studied there was significant difference between the two areas with children from Mathare being more deficient than those from Kitui.

CONCLUSION

VAD is a significant health problem in the high risk areas assessed by CICT in this study.