Roland Kupka1, Jennifer Nielsen2, Christina Nyhus Dhillon3, Jessica Blankenship4, Marjorie J Haskell5, Shawn K Baker6,7, Kenneth H Brown6,7. 1. 1 UNICEF Headquarters, New York, NY, USA. 2. 2 Helen Keller International Headquarters, New York, NY, USA. 3. 3 Helen Keller International Tanzania Country Office, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 4. 4 Helen Keller International Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya. 5. 5 Program in International and Community Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA. 6. 6 Helen Keller International Africa Regional Office, Dakar, Senegal. 7. 7 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among children 6 to 59 months of age reduces vitamin A deficiency (VAD)-related mortality. Child health days (CHDs) only reach an estimated 16.7% of children at exactly 6 months, leaving uncovered children at risk of VAD-related mortality; similarly, VAS provided at 9 months of age with measles-containing vaccine leaves infants unprotected for 3 months. OBJECTIVE: Using data from sub-Saharan Africa, we estimated the mortality benefits and safety of providing VAS at age 6 months, compared to delivery through CHDs and at 9 months. METHODS: We modeled VAS-preventable mortality benefits at 6 months as a function of published VAS effect sizes, intervention coverage, and proportion of infant deaths occurring between 6 and 11 months. To evaluate safety, we modeled the effect of different VAS coverage scenarios on maximum hepatic vitamin A concentrations (HVACs). RESULTS: VAS linked to a 6-month visit could reduce infant mortality by an additional 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-2.52) and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.15-2.11) percentage points compared to VAS through CHDs and at 9 months, respectively. The HVAC models indicate that VAS at 6 months is safe even in the presence of a second VAS dose 1 month later and other food-based vitamin A control strategies. CONCLUSION: Advancing the first VAS dose to 6 months should be considered in settings where VAS is currently given first at 9 months. A 6-month VAS dose should also be considered in settings where VAS is delivered through CHDs. VAS delivery at 6 months could also serve as a platform to deliver other high-impact interventions.
BACKGROUND:Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among children 6 to 59 months of age reduces vitamin A deficiency (VAD)-related mortality. Child health days (CHDs) only reach an estimated 16.7% of children at exactly 6 months, leaving uncovered children at risk of VAD-related mortality; similarly, VAS provided at 9 months of age with measles-containing vaccine leaves infants unprotected for 3 months. OBJECTIVE: Using data from sub-Saharan Africa, we estimated the mortality benefits and safety of providing VAS at age 6 months, compared to delivery through CHDs and at 9 months. METHODS: We modeled VAS-preventable mortality benefits at 6 months as a function of published VAS effect sizes, intervention coverage, and proportion of infant deaths occurring between 6 and 11 months. To evaluate safety, we modeled the effect of different VAS coverage scenarios on maximum hepatic vitamin A concentrations (HVACs). RESULTS:VAS linked to a 6-month visit could reduce infant mortality by an additional 1.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-2.52) and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.15-2.11) percentage points compared to VAS through CHDs and at 9 months, respectively. The HVAC models indicate that VAS at 6 months is safe even in the presence of a second VAS dose 1 month later and other food-based vitamin A control strategies. CONCLUSION: Advancing the first VAS dose to 6 months should be considered in settings where VAS is currently given first at 9 months. A 6-month VAS dose should also be considered in settings where VAS is delivered through CHDs. VAS delivery at 6 months could also serve as a platform to deliver other high-impact interventions.
Entities:
Keywords:
Africa South of the Sahara; deficiency; immunization; supplementation; vitamin A
Authors: Adam R Aluisio; Shiromi M Perera; Derrick Yam; Stephanie Garbern; Jillian L Peters; Logan Abel; Daniel K Cho; Stephen B Kennedy; Moses Massaquoi; Foday Sahr; Suzanne Brinkmann; Lindsey Locks; Tao Liu; Adam C Levine Journal: J Nutr Date: 2019-10-01 Impact factor: 4.798