Vitamin A deficiency in rural based tertiary care centre

Aims and objectives: To study the incidence of clinical forms of vitamin A deficiency and create awareness for importance of dietary vitamin A among parents. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was done in a rural based tertiary care centre which included 256 patients attending the paediatric OPD between the age group of 1 month to 10 years during July and August 2015. Questionnaires were prepared for socioeconomic status and nutritional status. An ophthalmic examination was carried out along with a trained paraopthalmic assistant in the paediatric OPD. The findings of torch light examination were confirmed on slit lamp examination. The positive findings of vitamin A deficiency were compared with the WHO classification. Statistical analysis was done by using the SPSS software V.11. Results: The total number of children examined were 256 which included 101 (39.5 %) from rural areas and 155 (60.5 %) from urban areas. Conjuctival xerosis was noted in 19 (7.4%) children out of which 9 children (3.5%) were from urban and 10 children (3.9%) from rural areas. 21 children (8%) suffered from night blindness which is another sign of Vitamin A deficiency (XN). Conclusion: Vitamin A deficiency affects most of the school going children in rural India and it occurs mainly due to dietary insufficiency hence can be prevented.