Vitamin A-fortified monosodium glutamate and health, growth, and survival of children: a controlled field trial.

In a controlled trial, fortification of commercially marketed monosodium glutamate (MSG) with vitamin A improved serum vitamin A levels of young children and the vitamin A content of breast milk of lactating women. These improvements in vitamin A indices were accompanied by dramatic changes in health and anthropometric status. During the course of the study, the prevalence of Bitot's spots among children in program villages fell progressively from 1.2% at base line to 0.2% 11 mo after introduction of the fortified product (p less than 0.001); xerophthalmia rates in control villages remained essentially unchanged. Linear growth was greater among program than among control children at every age. Hemoglobin levels among program children rose by approximately 10 g, from 113 +/- 16 g/L at base line to 123 +/- 16 by 5 mo (p less than 0.001); they remained essentially unchanged among children of control villages. Preschool children in control villages died at 1.8 times the rate of children in program villages.