Vitamin A Supplementation In Early Childhood Does Not Prevent Asthma Later In Life

Scientists in the U.S. and Nepal who analyzed data from two studies involving more than 5,000 children and pregnant women who took vitamin A supplements found that, after 15 years, the vitamin had no impact on whether asthma developed. In one study preschool children were given either vitamin A or a placebo. In the second study, one-third of the mothers took vitamin A before, during and after pregnancy, and one-third took no supplement. Ten to fifteen years later the researchers used questionnaires and tests to detect the presence of asthma. The results showed no difference between the groups of children, all of whom lived in a rural area of Nepal where chronic malnutrition is common.