Medical experts, based on 43 trials carried out with about 2, 15,633 children, found that deaths were reduced by 24 per cent if the children were given the vitamin A pills.

The details about the trials and analysis published in a British Medical Journal, states that Vitamin-A supplement in children aged under five signified 24 per cent reduction in all cause mortality and 28 per cent reduction in mortality associated with diarrhea.

Meta-analyses performed for mortality, illness, vision and side effects also reported a reduced prevalence of measles, and vision problems, including night blindness and Dry eye syndrome (xerophthalmia).

According to World Health Organization (WHO), Vitamin-A deficiency is the main cause of preventable blindness in children and increases the risk of diseases and death from severe infections.

The WHO report also says that an estimated 250 000 to 500 000 vitamin-A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight.

The consumption of Alcohol, coffee or excess iron can deplete their body's supply of Vitamin A, which is very essential for the body.

The maximum Vitamin A-rich food and other items include liver, carrots, fish and cod liver oil, milk, egg yolk, sweet potato, spinach, cantaloupe, mozzarella cheese, dried apricots, and fruits like mangoes.

As the evidence for vitamin A is clear after the trial, the authors recommend the supplementation of vitamin A in the diet of children, especially under 5 to minimize the risk of them getting under the vitamin A deficient bracket, that is 190 million, according to WHO.

Medicine