1. The impact of home fortification with multiple micronutrient powder on vitamin A status in young children: A multicenter pragmatic controlled trial in Brazil.
- Author
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Silva, Lara Livia Santos, Augusto, Rosângela Aparecida, Tietzmann, Daniela Cardoso, Sequeira, Leopoldina Augusta Souza, Hadler, Maria Claret Costa Monteiro, Muniz, Pascoal Torres, Lira, Pedro Israel Cabral, and Cardoso, Marly Augusto
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ANEMIA in children , *CAREGIVERS , *CHI-squared test , *CLINICAL trials , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *DIETARY supplements , *LONGITUDINAL method , *MEDICAL cooperation , *POISSON distribution , *PROBABILITY theory , *RESEARCH , *RESEARCH funding , *T-test (Statistics) , *MICRONUTRIENTS , *VITAMIN A , *STATISTICAL power analysis , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *NUTRITIONAL status , *ODDS ratio , *MANN Whitney U Test , *CHILDREN - Abstract
Home fortification with multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) is effective in the prevention of anemia in young children. However, the impact on their vitamin A status remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MNP on vitamin A status in young Brazilian children. A multicenter pragmatic, controlled trial was carried out in primary health centers in four Brazilian cities. In the beginning of the study, the control group (CG) consisted of children 11-14 months old ( n = 395) attending in routine pediatric health care. In parallel, the intervention group (IG) was composed of children 6-8 months old ( n = 399), in the same health centers, who followed the intervention with MNP for 2-3 months. The analysis of the effect of MNP on vitamin A status was performed by comparing the IG with the CG after a 4- to 6-month follow-up when IG children had reached the age of the controls. The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD; serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L) in the CG was 16.2%, while in the IG was 7.5%-a 55% reduction in the VAD [prevalence ratio (95% confidence interval) = 0.45 (0.28; 0.72)]. This reduction was also significant when stratifying the study centers by coverage of the Brazilian Vitamin A Supplementation Program. The adjusted mean of vitamin A serum concentrations improved in the IG compared with CG children, with a shift to the right in the vitamin A distribution. Home fortification with MNP was effective in reducing VAD among young Brazilian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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