Absorption of vitamin A by children with diarrhoea during treatment with oral rehydration salt solution.

The results of a study of absorption by children of vitamin A indicate that absorption is lower in children with acute diarrhoea compared with normal children. The glucose or electrolytes present in solutions of oral rehydration salts had no effect on the absorption. Despite malabsorption, 70% of the administered dose of 100 000 IU of vitamin A in 500 ml of fluid was absorbed and retained.