Abstract

VERDUGUEZ SANDAGORDA, María Nancy  and  BEJARANO FORQUERAS, Haldrin Antonio. Effect of supplementation of megadoses of Vitamin A in children severely malnourished and healthy children, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Gac Med Bol [online]. 2012, vol.35, n.1, pp.12-15. ISSN 1012-2966.

Objectives: to determine the impact of serum retinol in children severely malnourished and eutrophic children who received megadoses of vitamin A, establish relationship of serum retinol before and after administration of megadoses of vitamin A. Methods: descriptive cross comparison, 20 children under 5 years who were hospitalized at the Children's Hospital Manuel Ascencio Villarroel in Cochabamba Of which 10 had a diagnosis of severe severely malnourished, and 10 were children under eutrophic. Level was measured retinol income after 7 and 30 days of administration of megadoses of vitamin A, retinol concentration was determined by High Pressure Liquid Chroma-tography (HPLC) in blood plasma. Results: the first sample is serum retinol below 20 mg / dL in both groups, this value increases to more than 30 g / dl in the second sample (7 days) and is held in the third sample (months). No clinical signs were observed deficiency in eutrophic children, whereas in all malnourished children were found clinical signs of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency as 50% conjunctival and corneal xerosis, decreased growth, 60%, bacterial infection, 100%, skin lesions, 40% and changes in the hair 60%. Conclusions: in this population there is subclinical deficiency of vitamin A, both nourished and malnourished as this value increases to normal levels with the administration of megadoses of vitamin A supplemented.

Keywords : vitamin A; malnutrition; retinol.

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