What are the benefits of taking vitamin A for children?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Ho Viet Le Diem - General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
The current Vietnamese diet does not meet 100% of the needs of vitamins and minerals necessary for the body, including vitamin A. Therefore, children need to be supplemented with vitamin A to develop well. avoid the risk of vision diseases, immunodeficiency,...

1. The role of vitamin A in children's health

Vitamin A is involved in many bodily functions. Specifically:
Growth role: Vitamin A plays an important role in the growth process, helping children develop normally. Without vitamin A, children will be stunted, stunted, and malnourished. Visual function: Vitamin A participates in the visual function of the eyes, helping the eyes to have the ability to see clearly in low light conditions. When vitamin A deficiency, the ability of the eyes to see will be reduced, especially in low light. This phenomenon usually appears at dusk, folk called night blindness. Night blindness is an early manifestation of vitamin A deficiency. Manifestations of vitamin A deficiency causing night blindness in children at dusk are usually shy, sitting in one place, do not dare to go or if walking, they are easy to fall. , difficult to walk, easy to collide with objects on the ground,... Protects the epithelium: Vitamin A protects the integrity of the corneal epithelium, subcutaneous epithelium, tracheal mucosa, and mucous membranes. small intestine, salivary glands and testes,... When vitamin A is deficient, the body reduces the production of mucus, causing the skin to dry, appear keratinized,... This expression is often seen in the eyes: rash Dryness of the conjunctiva, then damage to the cornea, leads to blindness. If vitamin A is deficient, the intestinal mucosa is damaged leading to digestive disorders or the bronchial mucosa is vulnerable to respiratory diseases, ...

Create body immunity: Vitamin A plays a role in strengthening the body's immunity. Vitamin A deficiency reduces the body's resistance to diseases, making the body susceptible to severe infections, especially diseases such as measles, respiratory infections, otitis media, diarrhea, etc. to an increased risk of infant mortality. In particular, vitamin A also increases the body's resistance to other infections such as tetanus, tuberculosis and supports effective cancer prevention.

2. Causes of vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A is present in food, when entering the body, it will be absorbed through the intestines and stored mainly in the liver. The causes of vitamin A deficiency include:
Dietary deficiency of vitamin A: The human body cannot synthesize vitamin A on its own, but it must be provided by food. Therefore, the main cause of vitamin A deficiency in children is an unbalanced diet, lack of vitamin A and carotene (provitamin A). A low-fat meal also reduces the absorption of vitamin A in food (because vitamin A is fat-soluble). In nursing infants, the main source of vitamin A is breast milk. If during breastfeeding, the mother's diet lacks vitamin A, it will directly affect the baby.

Infectious diseases: When suffering from diarrhea, respiratory infection, measles, roundworm infection, ... the body's need for vitamin A will increase to regenerate the epithelium, create antibodies against the disease. disability. If these diseases are prolonged, the vitamin A in the child's body will be severely deficient and need to be supplemented in time. The body does not absorb much vitamin A: When children suffer from some gastrointestinal diseases, especially prolonged diarrhea, the ability to absorb nutrients, including vitamin A, will be greatly reduced. Besides, if the food has a lot of vitamin A but lacks protein and fat, it also reduces the child's ability to absorb vitamin A. The amount of vitamin A reserves in the body is no longer available: If food does not provide enough vitamin A requirements that the body needs, the body will mobilize stored vitamin A from the liver. However, by the time vitamin A stores cannot meet the body's needs, vitamin A deficiency will occur. Malnutrition and infections often lead to vitamin A deficiency.

3. Subjects prone to vitamin A deficiency

Children under 3 years of age are susceptible to vitamin A deficiency because they are growing rapidly and need more vitamin A. At this age, because of changes in nutrition (the period of complementary feeding, weaning) and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Therefore, children are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Children under 5 years of age with measles, acute respiratory infections, severe malnutrition, prolonged diarrhea, etc. are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency. Breastfed infants may have vitamin A deficiency if The mother's diet is deficient in vitamin A. In particular, if the child is not breastfed, the risk of vitamin A deficiency is higher.

4. How to supplement vitamin A for children

4.1. Give your child vitamin A

At-risk groups (children and mothers) should take high-dose vitamin supplements to address dry eye conditions that cause blindness in children.
How to give vitamin A to children:
For children 6 - 12 months old: Hold the capsule with your index finger and thumb, use scissors to cut the tip of the capsule, squeeze the number of drops in 1 capsule. Give your child 3-4 drops of Vitamin A (half a tablet). Finally, give the child a spoonful of dessert water. For children 12 - 23 months old: Hold the capsule with your index finger and thumb, cut the tip of the capsule with scissors, squeeze all the vitamin A juice into the child's mouth. Finally, give the child a spoonful of dessert water. For children over 24 months of age: Have your child chew or swallow vitamin A capsules and then give them water to drink.

Note when taking vitamin A:
Each capsule contains about 6-8 drops of Vitamin A solution. If cut close to the tip of the nipple, you can squeeze out 6-8 drops, if cut in the middle of the nipple, about 6 drops. Monitor children's health after taking vitamin A for 2 days to handle cases of side effects.

4.2 Change of lifestyle and nutrition

Vitamin A can be added to some common foods such as sugar, milk, cooking oil, etc. This is a transitional solution, bringing high efficiency in supplementing necessary vitamin A for children.

Ensuring the mother's nutrition during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and when the baby eats solid foods, must be full of 4 groups of substances including starch, protein, fat and vitamins. Add foods rich in vitamin A, carotene for the body such as: dark green vegetables (spinach, amaranth, water spinach, lettuce, lettuce), red and yellow vegetables (gac, pumpkin) , persimmon, mango, papaya). Vitamin A is only soluble in oil, so it is necessary to have fat in the child's diet in order for the child to absorb vitamin A. Vaccinations for children are complete and on schedule, especially measles. Ensure children's health, maintain hygiene to prevent inflammatory diseases and intestinal parasites. Breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, up to 24 months. Depending on the gender, age and stage, the child's body needs the necessary amounts of Vitamin A, so parents need to supplement vitamin A for their children appropriately, avoiding excess or deficiency of Vitamin A. In the key areas of Vinmec Health System, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: Including: leading experts with high professional qualifications (professor, associate professor, doctorate, master), rich experience, worked in big hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108,... The doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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