HIV-1, Malaria and Diarrhea.
Clinical Study Title:
Vitamin A supplements ameliorate the adverse effect of HIV-1, malaria, and diarrheal infections on child growth.
Plain English Summary: |
Vitamin A has been linked with improved growth in many animal studies. Many disorders, such as malaria, diarrhea, and HIV infection can often lead to vitamin A deficiency and have other adverse reactions. This study looked at the use of a vitamin A supplement versus a placebo given to almost 600 participants who were admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. Follow up of these participants showed that those participants who were given vitamin A and had other infections such as HIV positive status or malaria had improved growth over those participants who did not received the supplements. The use of a vitamin A supplement can be very beneficial and inexpensive to help improve growth in children who have other infections. |