Serum vitamin A levels of preschool children in a Nigerian rural community.

A study was carried out to determine the serum vitamin A levels of 250 preschool children in a rural community in eastern Nigeria. The children were aged between 2 months and 5 years and comprised 117 boys and 133 girls. A total of 23 (9.2%) children had 'deficient levels' (< 10 micrograms/dl) and 41 (16.4%) had 'low levels' (< 20 micrograms/dl) according to the Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Defence criteria for the interpretation of serum vitamin A levels. The sex distribution showed that 14 (11.97%) boys and nine (6.77%) girls had deficiency levels. A history of night blindness was obtained in six (3.7%) of 162 children aged 3-5 years.