Of 207 children (aged 4–7 years) in western Mali examined clinically and by conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), 2% had night blindness, no child had Bitot spots and 78% were found to have abnormal CIC suggesting deficiency in vitamin A.
In a cohort of 53 children examined by CIC pre- and post-harvest (June and December), abnormal CIC were seen in 77.4% and 54.7%, respectively (P = 0.04).
Subclinical vitamin A deficiency is a problem in this area. A seasonal variation is demonstrated. CIC is a useful method for identifying communities with subclinical vitamin A deficiency. A variety of strategies for dealing with vitamin A deficiency are discussed.
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