The Importance of Providing Vitamin A to Children

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for children, and deficiencies can lead to serious health problems. Learn more about the importance of providing vitamin A to your children.

Introduction

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children receive at least 600 IU of vitamin A each day for children below 1 year old. This amount is important for protecting eye health and preventing blindness in children ages 6 months through 6 years. Vitamin A is also important for helping the body fight infections, which is especially critical during childhood due to the many illnesses common among young children.

Vitamin A Supplementation: What is it? 

The term “vitamin A supplementation” refers to the administration of vitamin A to children 6 months to 5 years of age living in areas with vitamin A deficiency. The goal of this intervention is to improve their vitamin A status, thereby reducing mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases such as measles, diarrhea, and malaria.

Vitamin A supplementation can be given as a single dose or as repeated doses over time. When given as a single dose, it is recommended that it be given during the second half of pregnancy (from 16 weeks onward), at birth and 6-8 weeks later--when infants are most vulnerable to illness--and again before 12 months old (4 doses total).

What are the benefits of Vitamin A for children?

Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble carotenoids. It can be found in many foods, including dark green vegetables and fruits such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and apricots. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A when it needs it.

Vitamin A helps maintain vision health by keeping the cornea (the clear area at the front of your eye) healthy, reducing dryness of the eyes, and preventing cataracts from forming. It also supports cell growth in the retina as well as bone growth around bones that support your head during development.

In addition to its role in supporting fetal development, vitamin A plays an important role in preventing diseases like night blindness caused by reduced light sensitivity or childhood blindness caused by measles virus infections (which is common among children under five years old).

What is the WHO-recommended Vitamin A intake for children?

The WHO recommends that children aged 6-59 months receive 400mg of vitamin A per day. This amount is based on a daily intake of 10 micrograms (mcg) for each kilogram (kg) of body weight.

The recommended daily vitamin A intake in infancy, between 6 and 60 months, is 600 mcg per day for boys and 550 mcg per day for girls.

As we age, our bodies require less vitamin A as we consume more fat in our diets rather than carbohydrates or protein—and this means there's no need to increase your child's intake over time if they are eating an adequate diet containing plenty of vegetables such as carrots or spinach with other brightly colored fruits like oranges or bananas which include beta carotene which converts into vitamin A when consumed by humans through digestion so it needs to be consumed regularly throughout their lives if they intend spending any time outdoors playing sports etcetera!

How Does Vitamin A Impact Health?

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin, vision, and immune function. It is needed for the development of new cells in the body. Vitamin A plays a role in helping the body fight infections like measles and rotavirus, which can cause severe diarrhea or vomiting.

Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children under 5 years old—and it occurs more frequently than any other form of malnutrition. If you think your child might be vitamin A deficient, talk to their doctor about how much vitamin A he or she needs per day.

What are the risks associated with not having enough vitamin A?

Vitamin A deficiency can lead to night blindness and xerophthalmia. Xerophthalmia is a condition in which there is severe drying and thickening of the cornea of the eye, causing cloudiness and vision impairment or even blindness if left untreated.

Sometimes vitamin A deficiency causes keratinization of the cornea, which makes it difficult for light to pass through your eye's lens so you can see clearly. If this occurs, you may need surgery in order not just for treatment but also prevention--if your child has been diagnosed with keratinization due to low levels of vitamin A prior to age 5 years old then he/she should receive routine screening every year until adulthood (when they are 18 years old).

In addition to these conditions affecting vision directly, there is also evidence that shows links between inadequate consumption levels among children aged 6 months - 5 years old who develop acute measles infections more frequently than those who have adequate amounts stored up within their bodies already.

What are the available Vitamin A supplement options for Kids?

It's important to note that there are a number of different ways to provide Vitamin A supplements for children. The most common form is in drops, which can be administered orally or inserted into the nostrils. However, chewable tablets and capsules are also options.

Vitamin A supplements come in varying strengths, depending on what kind you purchase and what your child needs (if they're not getting enough from their diet). You can find them at most pharmacies or grocery stores if you don't have access to a doctor's office where they would normally prescribe them as part of an overall treatment plan for an eye condition like xerophthalmia or night blindness caused by malnutrition.

Conclusion

The importance of providing Vitamin A to children cannot be overemphasized. It is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in maintaining good health and can help prevent a range of diseases and disorders. The best way to ensure that your child receives enough Vitamin A is by ensuring he or she gets enough dietary sources such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. If supplementation is required, then consult your doctor before starting any course of treatment so as not to run the risk of overdose which may cause serious side effects.