THE PERSISTENT PROBLEM OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY AND ITS COMPLICATIONS

In many parts of the developing world vitamin A deficiency and measles remain a major problem in relation to childhood visual impairment. In a study from Ethiopia Kello and Gilbert found that 68% of children in three blind schools had avoidable causes of visual loss. Vitamin A deficiency and/or measles contributed to the majority of the preventable causes.

The need for prevention of the disorders is highlighted by the study of Vajpayee and coworkers who analysed the results of keratoplasty in 29 children with keratomalacia. 41% of these cases were related to measles and nearly 40% to vitamin A deficiency. In 15 eyes an emergency tectonic keratoplasty was performed. Only five grafts remained clear at a mean follow up of 7.3 months. Seven …