View clinical trials related to Night Blindness.
Filter by:Iron, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies are particularly common among children and young women in the developing countries of South and Southeast Asia resulting in important adverse health effects. Simultaneous fortification of rice with iron, zinc and vitamin A could be a novel and sustainable approach to control these deficiencies. Recently conducted extrusion trials have demonstrated that extruded rice grains containing iron, zinc and vitamin A show acceptable stability during production and storage and good sensory properties. The grains were produced using a twin-screw extruder equipped with a special cutter and a rice shaping die. The Fe, Zn and vitamin A content of the extruded product is 10 mg, 9 mg and 1050 μg per g of rice, respectively. In this study the investigators plan to test the efficacy of the extruded triple fortified rice in Satun, Thailand, an area where rice is the staple food. Preliminary data from this area show that zinc and vitamin A intakes are low. Biochemical indicators have confirmed zinc deficiency and suboptimal vitamin A status in 1/3 of school aged children. The efficacy of the fortified rice will be evaluated in a 9 months, controlled, double-blind intervention trial in 7-12 y-old children. Children will be selected from primary schools in Satun Province based on low serum zinc values as the primary goal is to investigate Zn efficacy. As secondary outcome the effect on iron and vitamin A status will be investigated. The children will be randomized into two groups: a control group will receive a daily non-fortified rice lunch meal at school, while the second group will receive a daily rice meal containing the triple fortified rice. The rice meals will be given 5 days a week. At baseline, weight and height will be measured and determination of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, zinc protoporphyrin, serum zinc, serum retinol and C-reactive protein will be done. At mid-point and at 9 months, the baseline measurements will be repeated to judge the efficacy of the triple fortified rice.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of maternal supplementation with 400,000 IU of oral retinol palmitate in the post-partum, the nutritional situation of the binomial mother-child, on growth and morbidity of children in breastfeeding in the first six months of life.
Our objectives will be to test the following hypotheses and to make the following determinations: (1) The absorption and bio-conversion of provitamin A carotenes taken by children are different between spinach, Golden Rice, and ß-C in oil capsules. (2) The absorption of provitamin A carotenes and their bioconversion to vitamin A are different in children with or without adequate vitamin A nutrition. (3) To define the vitamin A equivalence(s) of dietary spinach, Golden Rice, and a ß-C in oil dose by using an isotope reference method in children with or without adequate vitamin A nutrition and to compare those values with values derived from model based compartmental analysis. (4) To determine the number and time of blood samples needed for future studies in various field settings on the retinol equivalence of a large number of plant sources.
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for the normal functioning of the visual system, growth and development, immunity and reproduction. Its deficiency causes anemia, growth retardation and xerophthalmia. Vitamin A deficiency also increases the incidence and/or severity of infectious episodes and affects child survival. Reduced child survival is the most severe and potentially the most widespread consequence of Vitamin A deficiency. Improvement in vitamin A status is now regarded as one of the most cost effective preventive measures for the reduction of child mortality and morbidity. Over the past decade several studies have examined the effect of vitamin A on reducing mortality among children aged ≥6months at the time of intervention. Impact of vitamin A supplementation can significantly reduce total mortality but it is only established through supplementation programs in children age 6 months or older. It was assumed that breast milk protects infants from vitamin A deficiency, but recent evidence has challenged this. Infants born with low stores of vitamin A and if the mother breast milk has a low concentration of vitamin A, as found in developing countries, the infants might be unable to meet their daily requirements and improve body reserves. There is association between mortality and degree of vitamin A deficiency, greater the degree of deficiency, higher the mortality. The role of vitamin A in child survival is now well established and over 60 countries have vitamin A supplementation programs nationally. However, most are still using vitamin A supplements in the second half of infancy, even though over 75% of all under 5 deaths take place in the first 6 months of life. If neonatal vitamin A supplementation can be found to be effective and a service delivery mechanism also found, this will represent a major advance in reaching the MDG 4 targets. This is thus persuasive reason to explore this particular preventive strategy, especially in terms of packaging with other postnatal care activities. However, given that in some instances it has been difficult to disentangle the effect of vitamin A dosing from concomitant vaccinations such as BCG, the current evidence needs further evaluation in effectiveness settings. We propose to evaluate the effectiveness of early neonatal vitamin A administration (single dose 50,000 units) to the newborn to see its effect on infant mortality less than 6 months of age as part of postnatal package through National Program. Government has launched the National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care since April 1994. Primarily it is being implemented in the community through Lady Health Workers (LHWs) of the National Program. The LHWs are females, with a minimum of eight years of education, residents of the locality in which they are working. The Programme is being currently implemented in all the districts throughout the country and 93,000 LHWs are working covering primarily women and children of the rural population. These LHWs deliver services related to family planning, maternal and child health, immunization, nutrition and treatment of minor ailments to her average registered population of 100-150 households or ~1000 population. Over 3,000 Supervisors have been recruited and trained to supervise the work of LHWs.
To assess the effect of oral administration of the alga Dunaliella bardawil containing approximately 50% all-trans beta-carotene and 50% 9-cis beta-carotene isomers on visual functions patients with Congenital Stationary Night Blindness {Fundus albipunctatus).
The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether daily consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes increases the vitamin A status of Bangladeshi women of reproductive age. Secondary purposes of the study are to determine whether consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes has an effect on the intestinal absorption of dietary iron or dietary zinc in Bangladeshi women of reproductive age.
Main objectives: To evaluate the impact of weekly vitamin A supplementation (VAS) to women of reproductive age (15-45 years) on maternal mortality in rural Ghana, and to compare this with the impact on overall mortality. Hypotheses: 1. Weekly supplementation with vitamin A (7000 µg retinol equivalent [RE]) to reproductive age women will reduce maternal deaths by 33%. 2. This impact will be achieved by reductions in both pregnancy-related and non-pregnancy-related deaths. 3. There will be a reduction in non-maternal deaths, similar in size to that in maternal non-pregnancy related deaths. Outcome measures: Maternal mortality rate, and overall mortality rate. Deaths will be identified through monthly demographic surveillance, and classified as maternal (pregnancy-related, non-pregnancy-related) or non-maternal using verbal autopsies.
The purpose of this trial is to determine whether providing women with a weekly oral supplement of vitamin A, either preformed or as beta-carotene, at a dosage equivalent to a recommended intake from early pregnancy through three months postpartum, can reduce the risk of maternal mortality, fetal loss, or infant mortality.
The ZVITAMBO PROJECT is testing whether giving mothers and infants a single large dose of vitamin A during the immediate post partum period will reduce: 1. Infant Mortality Can oral administration of a single 50,000 IU dose of vitamin A to newborn infants, a single 400,000 IU dose of vitamin A given to their lactating mothers, or supplementation of both the mother and infant during the immediate post partum period reduce infant mortality by at least 30%? 2. Mother to Child HIV transmission during breast feeding Can oral administration of a single large dose of vitamin A given during the immediate post partum period to HIV seropositive lactating women and/or their babies reduce HIV transmission via breast feeding by at least 30%? 3. Sexually transmitted HIV infection of post partum women Can a single 400,000 IU dose of vitamin A given during the immediate post partum period to HIV seronegative women reduce their likelihood of becoming HIV infected during the post partum year by at least 25%? 4. Infant feeding in the context of HIV: An operational research study was initiated mid-way through the trial to determine how UNAIDS Guidelines on infant feeding in the context of HIV could be effectively implemented and to measure the impact of such a program on infant feeding practices and postnatal HIV transmission. Substudies: Random subsamples of maternal and infant blood were evaluated for anemia and iron status to determine the effect of vitamin A on hematopoiesis and serum and breast milk retinol (mothers) and modified relative dose response test (infants) to determine the effect of vitamin A on vitamin A status. A subsample of maternal and infant blood samples were evaluated for the presence of HLA-E, HLA-G, and TAP polymorphisms and their relation to prevalent HIV infection in mothers and risk of mother to child transmission.
The purpose of this trial is determine whether a 50,000 IU oral dose of vitamin A delivered to newborn infants within the first days of life, reduces six-month infant mortality by at least 15%. The trial will also evaluate whether the survival impact of newborn vitamin A dosing is modified by concurrent weekly, routine maternal vitamin A or beta-carotene supplementation during pregnancy through three months postpartum, gestational age and birth size.