Vitamin A and vitamin E status of rural preschool children in West Java, Indonesia, and their response to oral doses of vitamin A and of vitamin E.

Vitamin A and E status was studied in five groups (satisfactory growth, reduced growth, night blindness, Bitot's spots, and corneal xerosis) of rural Indonesian preschool children. All groups except corneal xerosis showed satisfactory weight-height ratios. Initial serum retinol values were less than 0.35 mumol/L in 34% of all children. After oral administration of 24.4 mumol vitamin A, mean serum retinol values rose from 0.42 to 0.70 mumol/L at 10 d. After oral treatment of children with 244 or 314 mumol vitamin A, mean serum retinol remained greater than 0.56 mumol/L for 165 d. Of particular note were the low mean initial serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations (6.3 mumol/L) and alpha-tocopherol-total lipid ratios (1.5 mumol/g). Total serum lipids fell in the normal range. Oral administration of 84 mumol vitamin E raised serum alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol-total-lipid ratios by 46 and 44%, respectively. Thus, vitamin E inadequacy, which impairs vitamin A absorption and storage, may well contribute to the high incidence of clinical vitamin A deficiency in West Javan children.