Serum level of vitamin A, as risk factor for life threatening acute diarrhoea

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out at the Diarrheal Diseases Research and Rehydration Center [DDRRC] in Bab El-Shareya University Hospital on 52 patients [30 males and 22 females], aged 1-24 months. All study cases had diarrhea of less than 5 days duration with varying degrees of dehydration. Fifteen matched controls were also studied for serum A level. Results showed that out of the [52] study cases, 13 [25%] had a serum level of vitamin A less than 30 ug%, while all the controls [15] had a normal vitamin A level, and the difference was statistically significant. As regards the relation between vitamin A and the degree of dehydration, it was observed that by the odds ratio [OR] there was some risk for developing moderate dehydration [OR=1.3], if the child has low serum vitamin A level