Vitamin A can improve infant survival

According to a recent study, the intake of vitamin A supplements can reduce the risk of infant deaths caused by diarrhea, fever and respiratory infections.
Every year, a large number of infant deaths occur due to infections and metabolic disorders. It is believed that if vitamin A supplements are given in the early newborn period, the number of these infant deaths can be reduced to a great extent.
To test the efficacy of vitamin A supplements in reducing infant deaths, researchers at the Aravind Centre for Women, Children and Community Health in Madurai, South India randomly assigned 5,786 newborns to receive vitamin A supplements within the first 48 hours after birth and 5833 newborns to receive inactive placebo. Infants in both groups were followed up through home visits for 6 months and details of illness were recorded.
The results showed that death rates due to diarrheal diseases and fever were markedly lower among vitamin A-treated infants compared with those given placebo. It was also found that vitamin A reduced the risk of death from respiratory infection. Though vitamin A supplementation reduced mortality, its role in reducing the incidence of these diseases remains a matter of contention.
Thus, by providing all infants with vitamin A supplements, we can decrease the infant mortality rate.
Journal of Nutrition,December 2007