Vitamin A and Growth in Infants
Author Information
Author(s): Ane Bærent Fisker, Christine Stabell Benn, Birgitte Rode Diness, Cesario Martins, Amabelia Rodrigues, Peter Aaby, Bo Martin Bibby
Primary Institution: Bandim Health Project
Hypothesis
Does neonatal vitamin A supplementation interact negatively with DTP vaccination, affecting growth in girls?
Conclusion
Neonatal vitamin A supplementation appears to benefit boys' growth but may negatively affect girls' growth when followed by DTP vaccination.
Supporting Evidence
- Neonatal vitamin A had no overall effect on growth at 12 months.
- The effect of vitamin A differed significantly between the BCG and DTP vaccination windows.
- Girls showed a tendency for negative growth effects after DTP vaccination when receiving vitamin A.
Takeaway
Giving vitamin A to newborns can help boys grow better, but it might not be good for girls if they get certain vaccines afterward.
Methodology
Children were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin A or placebo at birth, and their growth was measured at 6-week intervals for the first year.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to higher mortality in the vitamin A group, especially among girls.
Limitations
High dropout rate due to travel and mortality, particularly among girls, which may skew results.
Participant Demographics
Children from Guinea-Bissau, with a mean birth weight of 3.19 kg.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Confidence Interval
0.03–0.59
Statistical Significance
p=0.03
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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