Vitamin A supplementation every 6 months with retinol in 1 million pre-school children in north India: DEVTA, a cluster-randomised trial.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: In north India, vitamin A deficiency (retinol <0·70 μmol/L) is common in pre-school children and 2-3% die at ages 1·0-6·0 years. We aimed to assess whether periodic vitamin A supplementation could reduce this mortality. METHODS: Participants in this cluster-randomised trial were pre-school children in the defined catchment areas of 8338 state-staffed village child-care centres (under-5 population 1 million) in 72 administrative blocks. Groups of four neighbouring blocks (cluste...

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Authors: Awasthi, S; Peto, R; Read, S; Clark, S; Pande, V

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Lancet
• Volume: 381
• Issue: 9876
• Pages: 1469-1477
• Publication date: 2013-04-01
• DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)62125-4
• EISSN: 1474-547X
• ISSN: 0140-6736
• Language: English
• Keywords: Female; Rural Health; Cluster Analysis; DEVTA (Deworming and Enhanced Vitamin A) team; Adjuvants, Immunologic; Infant; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin A; Humans; India; Albendazole; Antiprotozoal Agents; Child Mortality; Child, Preschool; Dietary Supplements; Follow-Up Studies; Vitamin A Deficiency; Child; Male