Vitamin A deficiency
Definition
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem affecting an estimated 190 million preschool-age children and 19 million pregnant women, principally in Africa and South-East Asia. This corresponds to 33.3% of the preschool-age population and 15.3% of pregnant women in populations at risk. Vitamin A deficiency is one of the most important causes of preventable childhood blindness; however, the prevalence of ocular manifestations is now recognized to far underestimate the magnitude of the problem of functionally significant deficiency. Many more preschool-age children, and perhaps older children and women who are pregnant or lactating, have their health compromised when they are sub-clinically deficient. In young children, subclinical deficiency, like clinical deficiency, increases the severity of some infections, particularly diarrhoea and measles, and increases the risk of death. The primary cause of vitamin A deficiency is lack of an adequate intake of vitamin A, and may be exacerbated by high rates of infection, especially diarrhoea and measles. A diet that is chronically insufficient in vitamin A can lead to lower body stores and fail to meet physiologic needs (e.g. support tissue growth, normal metabolism, resistance to infection), especially during stages of life of high nutritional demand (e.g. early childhood, pregnancy and lactation). Deficiency of sufficient duration or severity can lead to disorders that are common in vitamin A deficient populations such as xerophthalmia, the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, anaemia, and weakened host resistance to infection, which can increase the severity of infectious diseases and risk of death.
Inclusions
- Hypovitaminosis A
8 subordinate codes
5B55.0Vitamin A deficiency with night blindness5B55.1Vitamin A deficiency with conjunctival xerosis5B55.2Vitamin A deficiency with conjunctival xerosis and Bitot's spots5B55.3Vitamin A deficiency with corneal xerosis5B55.4Vitamin A deficiency with corneal ulceration or keratomalacia5B55.5Vitamin A deficiency with xerophthalmic scars of cornea or blindness4B4YOther specified diseases of the immune system4B4ZDiseases of the immune system, unspecified
Nearby in Undernutrition
5B50Underweight in infants, children or adolescents5B51Wasting in infants, children or adolescents5B52Acute malnutrition in infants, children or adolescents5B53Stunting in infants, children or adolescents5B54Underweight in adults5B56Vitamin C deficiency5B57Vitamin D deficiency5B58Vitamin E deficiency