Vitamin A and vitamin E status of rural preschool children in West Java, Indonesia, and their response to oral doses of vitamin A and of vitamin E.

Vitamin A and E status was studied in 5 groups (satisfactory growth reduced growth night blindness Bitots spots and corneal xerosis) of rural Indonesian preschool children. All groups except corneal xerosis showed satisfactory weight-height ratios. Initial serum retinol values were 0.35 micromol/L in 34% of all children. After oral administration of 24.4 micromol vitamin A mean serum retinol values rose from 0.42 to 0.70 micromol/L at 10d. After oral treatment of children with 244 or 314 micromol vitamin A mean serum retinol remained 0.56 micromol/L for 165d. Of particular note were the low mean initial serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations (6.3 micromol/L) and alpha-tocopherol-total lipid ratios (1.5 micromol/g). Total serum lipids fell in the normal range. Oral administration of 84 micromol vitamin E raised serum alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol-total lipid ratios by 46 and 44% respectively. Thus vitamin E inadequacy which impairs vitamin A absorption and storage may well contribute to the high incidence of clinical vitamin A deficiency in West Javan children. (authors modified)