Safety and pharmacokinetics of vitamin A therapy for infants with respiratory syncytial virus infections.

Infants with respiratory syncytial virus infection have low serum vitamin A levels. We treated 21 respiratory syncytial virus-infected children with 12,500 to 25,000 IU of oral vitamin A. Vitamin A levels were normalized at 6 h, and none of the children experienced vitamin A toxicity or exacerbation of respiratory illness. Vitamin A treatment of previously healthy respiratory syncytial virus-infected infants at these doses is safe and well tolerated.