Researchers studied 180 very sick children with serious infections (sepsis) in the hospital to understand vitamin A deficiency. They found that sick children were much more likely to have low vitamin A levels compared to healthy kids. Low vitamin A was connected to longer hospital stays and more severe infections, but surprisingly, it wasn’t directly linked to whether children survived. The findings suggest doctors should pay attention to vitamin A levels in critically ill children, though more research is needed to see if giving vitamin A supplements could actually help these patients get better.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether very sick children with serious blood infections have low vitamin A levels and how this affects their recovery
  • Who participated: 180 children admitted to an intensive care unit with serious infections, plus 40 healthy children as a comparison group
  • Key finding: About 62% of sick children had low vitamin A compared to only 20% of healthy children. Low vitamin A was connected to more severe illness and longer hospital stays, though it didn’t directly predict survival.
  • What it means for you: If your child is critically ill with a serious infection, doctors may want to check vitamin A levels as part of their care. However, this research doesn’t yet prove that vitamin A supplements will improve outcomes—more studies are needed before making that recommendation.

The Research Details

This was a prospective cohort study, which means researchers followed children forward in time from the moment they entered the hospital. They measured vitamin A levels in blood samples taken when children with sepsis were first admitted to the intensive care unit. The researchers compared these sick children to 40 healthy children who served as a control group to show what normal vitamin A levels look like.

The researchers tracked several important health measures for each sick child, including how severe their illness was using a scoring system called PRISM, how long they needed breathing machines, how long they stayed in the intensive care unit, and whether they survived. They used statistical analysis to see if low vitamin A was connected to worse outcomes.

Vitamin A levels were measured using a laboratory test called ELISA, which is a standard, reliable way to measure vitamin levels in blood. The study was conducted at a hospital in Egypt and included children of various ages admitted with sepsis.

This study design is important because it follows real patients over time rather than just looking at data from the past. This helps researchers see which factors are connected to worse health outcomes. By comparing sick children to healthy children, the researchers could clearly show that vitamin A deficiency is much more common in sepsis.

The study included a reasonable number of participants (180 sick children) and used a reliable laboratory method to measure vitamin A. The researchers used proper statistical methods to analyze the data. However, the study was conducted at a single hospital in one country, so results might not apply everywhere. The study was published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, which means other experts reviewed the work before publication.

What the Results Show

The most striking finding was that vitamin A deficiency was dramatically more common in children with serious infections. About 62% of sick children had low vitamin A levels, compared to only 20% of healthy children—a very significant difference. This clearly shows that serious infections are connected to low vitamin A.

Children with low vitamin A had higher severity scores, meaning their infections were more serious and their bodies were more stressed. They also stayed in the intensive care unit longer than children with normal vitamin A levels. On average, children with low vitamin A had more complications and their infections progressed more severely.

The researchers found that a blood vitamin A level of 21.4 micrograms per deciliter or lower was a useful marker for identifying children with sepsis. This number could potentially help doctors recognize which children are at higher risk.

Interestingly, while 71% of children who didn’t survive had low vitamin A, the difference between survivors and non-survivors wasn’t statistically significant. This means that while low vitamin A was more common in children who died, the connection wasn’t strong enough to say vitamin A deficiency directly caused the deaths. Other factors likely played important roles in survival.

Previous research has suggested that vitamin A plays an important role in immune function and fighting infections. This study confirms that vitamin A deficiency is common in critically ill children, which aligns with what researchers expected. However, the finding that vitamin A deficiency didn’t directly predict survival is somewhat surprising and suggests the relationship between vitamin A and sepsis outcomes is more complex than previously thought.

The study was conducted at only one hospital, so results might not apply to all children everywhere. The researchers couldn’t prove that low vitamin A caused the worse outcomes—only that they were connected. The study didn’t test whether giving vitamin A supplements actually helped children recover, which is an important next step. The study also didn’t look at why children developed vitamin A deficiency or whether it was a cause or a result of their serious illness.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, doctors may want to check vitamin A levels in children with serious infections as part of their care (moderate confidence). However, there is not yet enough evidence to recommend routine vitamin A supplements for all critically ill children with sepsis (low confidence). More large-scale studies are needed to determine if supplementation would actually improve outcomes.

Parents of children in intensive care units should be aware that vitamin A status may be monitored as part of their child’s care. Healthcare providers caring for critically ill children should consider vitamin A assessment. This research is less relevant for healthy children or those with mild illnesses.

If vitamin A supplementation were to be used, benefits would likely need to be assessed over days to weeks in the hospital setting, not hours. Any improvements in recovery would be gradual as the body fights the infection.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • For parents of hospitalized children: track vitamin A lab values if measured, noting the date and result. Record hospital stay duration and severity scores if provided by medical team. Monitor changes in these values over time during hospitalization.
  • Work with your child’s medical team to ensure vitamin A status is assessed if your child is critically ill. If supplementation is recommended, ensure it’s given as prescribed. For prevention in healthy children, ensure adequate nutrition with vitamin A-rich foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.
  • In hospital settings: request vitamin A lab results and track them alongside other health markers. After discharge: maintain good nutrition with vitamin A-rich foods and follow-up appointments with pediatrician. For at-risk children, periodic nutritional assessment may be helpful.

This research describes an association between vitamin A deficiency and sepsis severity in hospitalized children, but does not establish that vitamin A deficiency causes worse outcomes or that supplementation improves survival. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Parents and caregivers should discuss vitamin A screening and supplementation with their child’s doctor, especially if their child is critically ill. Do not give your child vitamin A supplements without medical supervision, as excessive vitamin A can be harmful. Always consult with healthcare providers before making decisions about your child’s medical care.