Underwood B A, Arthur P
Wold Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
FASEB J. 1996 Jul;10(9):1040-8.
Vitamin A deficiency among children in developing countries remains the leading cause of preventable severe visual impairment and blindness, and is a significant contributor to severe infections and death, particularly from diarrhea and measles. Vitamin A deficiency is also likely to increase vulnerability to other illnesses in both women and children, such as iron-deficiency anemia, and may be an important factor contributing to poor maternal performance during pregnancy and lactation and to growth deficits in children. Benefits to public health can be expected by improving the vitamin A status of deficient populations through an appropriate mix of acceptable, affordable, and available programs including promotion of breast-feeding, control of infections, dietary diversification, food fortification, and supplementation. Benefits include not only improved health and welfare for individuals and their families, but also improved chances of survival for an estimated 254 million children.
发展中国家儿童维生素A缺乏症仍是可预防的严重视力损害和失明的主要原因，并且是严重感染和死亡的重要促成因素，尤其是腹泻和麻疹导致的感染和死亡。维生素A缺乏症还可能增加妇女和儿童对其他疾病的易感性，如缺铁性贫血，并且可能是导致孕期和哺乳期孕产妇健康状况不佳以及儿童生长发育迟缓的一个重要因素。通过适当组合可接受、可负担且可得的项目，包括促进母乳喂养、控制感染、饮食多样化、食品强化和补充剂，改善缺乏维生素A人群的维生素A状况，有望给公众健康带来益处。这些益处不仅包括改善个人及其家庭的健康和福祉，还包括提高约2.54亿儿童的生存几率。
