Correlation of vitamin A deficiency with hemoglobin level and respiratory tract infection in children / 临床儿科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objectives To explore the nutritional status of vitamin A in healthy children and children with respiratory infection symptoms, and its correlation with hemoglobin levels. Methods Health children who lived in Beijing for over half year during December 2014 to August 2015 were included. Serum retinol and peripheral blood hemoglobin were measured. The relationship of vitamin A nutritional status with age, respiratory tract infection and anemia were analyzed. Results A total of 1742 children (1056 males and 686 females) with a median age of 3.1 years (6 months~17 years) were enrolled. 202 children had respiratory tract infection and 1540 children didn't have respiratory tract infection when visiting. The median serum retinol level was 0.29 mg/L (0.25~0.33 mg/L) in all children. The level of retinol in children with respiratory tract symptoms was significantly lower than that in children without respiratory symptoms (P<0.001). The prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency and suspected subclinical deficiency were 5.8% and 47.9% respectively. The prevalence of both the subclinical and suspected subclinical vitamin A deficiency ratios were >50% in children under 9-year-old. The prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency and suspected subclinical deficiency among different age groups were statistically different (P<0.001). The incidence of anemia in subclinical vitamin A deficiency, suspected subclinical deficiency children and normal children were 3.9%, 8.7%, and 10.8% respectively, and The differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). Serum retinol and hemoglobin concentrations were positively correlated with age (r=0.179 or 0.571, P all < 0.001). Furthermore, serum retinol was positively correlated with the concentration of hemoglobin (r=0.244, P<0.001). Conclusions Serum retinol level in children with respiratory infection is lower than that in healthy children. Vitamin A deficiency was associated with anemia.