0152

A STUDY ON FACTORS OF SERUM VITAMIN A LEVELS CHILDREN WITH PNEUMONIA AND DIARRHEA
Tan ZW, Wu GC, Jiang JX, et al.

Dept. of Nutrition, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China

Objectives: To explore the serum vitamin A (VA) status among children with pneumonia or diarrhea and its risk factors.
Methods: Vitamin A status and risk factors are identified by measured the concentration of serum vitamin A and performed regression. 60 children with pneumonia, 85 children with diarrhea and 100 health children were investigated. Serum VA<1.05umol, <0.70umol are considered as suspect subclinical vitamin A deficiency (SVAD) and SVAD respectively.
Results: The result showed that serum A levels of the cases with pneumonia, diarrhea and health children were (1.0+0.4) umol/L, (0.7+0.4) umol/L and (1.9+0.6) mol/L respectively (F=152.890,P<0.01). The incidences of SVAD in 3 groups were 28.3%, 54.1% and 1.0%, respectively (X2=67.381, P<0.005). Among Children with pneumonia who were younger, rural and stool had markedly lower serum VA and higher incidence of SVAD (P<0.05).  Children with diarrhea, those younger, in rural area, high fever, dehydration and more stool times had lower serum VA level and higher incidence of SVAD than their control group (P<0.005).The risk factors are in rural, fever, serious diseases to children with pneumonia, The risk factors are younger, higher fever, dehydration and more stool times to children with diarrhea.
Conclusion: The serum VA status among children with pneumonia and diarrhea was worse than that in health children. Among children with pneumonia and diarrhea, multiple risk factors need to be considered together for SVAD. The significant factors for development of lower serum VA levels were younger, in rural area, with symptoms such as fever, dehydration, more stool times