NIN doubts Vitamin A overdose causes death

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 20. Reacting to the reported deaths of children in Assam, allegedly due to overdose of Vitamin A, the Hyderabad based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) of the Indian Council of Medical Research, has issued a statement disputing the possibility of child fatality due to such overdose.

The statement adds that acute toxicity symptoms due to large dose of Vitamin A administration include nausea, vomiting, fever and excessive crying and sometimes a ``transient rise in intracranial tension in young infants. These symptoms are self limiting.'' It adds, ``fatality as a result of acute Vitamin A toxicity has not been reported so far.''

Vitamin A deficiency in children between one and five years age is still a major public health problem in India, according to the NIN, and the current controversy would weaken a programme which is in dire need of further strengthening and support.

The Institute adds that periodic Vitamin A administration to children between one and five years in a campaign mode has been found to be effective as well as safe in several developing countries, including India. A National Consultation of expert scientists working in the field of child nutrition has endorsed these views as late as Sept. 2000.

A careful analysis of the cause of deaths in Assam should be made ``before jumping at drastic conclusions,'' the statement adds. It says administration of Vitamin A may have been coincidental to some other cause of mortality and ``hasty conclusions to ban the programme may further cripple the already limping Vitamin A programme and harm millions of needy and poor children.'' It calls for a proper medical investigation into the causes of child deaths and adds that the Vitamin A solution should be checked for contamination.

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