Hematological Impact of Vitamin A and Zinc Supplementation in School Children

Sierra Carrero Le; r

Abstract

Hematological Impact of Vitamin A and Zinc Supplementation in School Children

Introduction: Anemia is one of the most important public health problems in developed and developing countries. It is present in 800 million people, and 273 million are children, it is estimated that approximately 50% of children under 5 years and 25% of children 6-12 years of the world population suffer from it.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the supplementation with Vitamin A and Zinc on hematological values in school children belonging to an educational center in Zulia State, Venezuela.

Methodology: An experimental, prospective study. The population was 202 school children, only 80 selected from the Maracaibo Municipality, Zulia State, subdivided into 3 subgroups,

• Group 1:Vitamin A+ Zinc 29 school children,

• Group 2:Vitamin A, 25 school children and

• Group 3: Zinc 26 school children

Clinical, biochemical and nutritional evaluation was performed pre and post supplementation to each school child. The average values before and after supplementations were compared, the ANOVA test was applied, and the percentage values were compared with Fisher's test. Results: The results showed a higher frequency of male children (55%), eutrophics between 6.06 ± 12.6 years of age, considered to have some degree of anemia. Group 2 (n=25 children) supplemented only with Vitamin A, achieved better results of HGB with (12.54 ± 0.64), followed by the group supplemented with only Zn (12.12 ± 1.05), that although they started with values before being supplemented considered as low (11. 49 ± 0.79 and 11.35 ± 0.74), respectively achieved normality (12.54 ± 0.64 and 12.12 ± 1.05), after supplementation, both the group supplemented with only Vitamin A and only Zinc.

Discussion: when supplementing with Vitamin A, hemoglobin levels improved from 47.2% to 27.2%. This effect was similar to that found in the group of girls supplemented with Vitamin A alone, but also with Zn alone.

Conclusions: The study evidenced the beneficial effect of Vitamin A supplementation as a single dose, also Zn alone in reducing the prevalence of anemia present in the children studied.