What disease causes vitamin A deficiency? Symptoms parents need to know

Vitamin A deficiency in children will cause vision problems or height retardation, fatigue, and picky appetite. Therefore, the timely detection of symptoms of this vitamin deficiency in children is essential. 

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Many people already know about the relationship between vitamin A and blindness, but this micronutrient also plays a key role in boosting the immune system.

If young children lack vitamin A, their immunity to fight diseases such as diarrhea , measles and acute respiratory infections will be greatly reduced. Increasing vitamin A intake in babies with vitamin A deficiency can reduce morbidity or mortality by nearly a quarter of all children, not to mention the number of children who are not hospitalized when sick.

The following article, aFamilyToday Health will provide necessary information about the deficiency of the above vitamin as well as how to fix it.

What disease does vitamin A deficiency cause?

Vitamin A deficiency weakens the immune system, causing rashes and typical visual ailments like dry eyes and night blindness.

Difficulty absorbing or storing vitamin A in the body increases the risk of diseases such as gastric ulcers, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic failure, duodenal stenosis, chronic diarrhea, bile duct obstruction, protozoan infection. intestinal giardia and cirrhosis.

Vitamin A deficiency is quite common in children with malnutrition , protein and energy deficiencies, caused not only because the diet lacks nutrients but also due to problems with storage and transport of vitamin A.

In children with measles, vitamin A can shorten the duration of the illness and reduce the severity of disease symptoms and the risk of death.

Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency

5 signs that your baby is deficient in this micronutrient include:

Dry skin

Vitamin A plays an important role for the creation and repair of skin cells as well as supporting inflammation. Not getting enough vitamin A can be the cause for the development of eczema and other problems in young children.

Dry eyes

Babies often rub their eyes and are always upset if they have to sit for a long time in windy places? If you notice that your baby has these signs, he or she is most likely suffering from dry eyes due to vitamin A deficiency.

Not clear at night

One of the other symptoms of vitamin A deficiency in children you should pay attention to is the condition that your baby does not see well at night or has another name for night blindness.

Underdeveloped

Without adequate vitamin A supplements, children's growth may be delayed. This is because vitamin A is essential for your baby's development.

The wound takes a long time to heal

Young children are often very active and easily encounter minor injuries no matter how closely parents look. However, when your baby seems to be recovering more slowly than usual, this could be a sign that he or she is deficient in vitamin A.

The above signs can all appear in adults, plus pay attention to a few more signs, such as:

Infertility, difficulty conception

Vitamin A is essential for conception in both men and women. If you're having trouble having a baby, then vitamin A deficiency may be one of the reasons for this. More seriously, this condition also has potential risks of infertility in both men and women.

Acne appears massively

Since vitamin A promotes skin growth and fights inflammation, this micronutrient can help prevent or treat acne. Many studies have shown that low vitamin A levels make the skin more susceptible to acne problems.

Causes of vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency is mainly due to a prolonged lack of nutrients in the diet. This cause is very common in areas where rice does not have beta-carotene as the main food.

Secondary vitamin A deficiency can also be caused by:

Reduces the level and rate of carotenoid absorption - a precursor of vitamin A

Difficulty absorbing, storing or transporting vitamin A in the body.

What is the baby's vitamin A need?

1-3 years: babies need about 1,000 international units (IU) or 300 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A per day.

From 4 years old: babies need about 1,333 IU or 400 mcg of vitamin A per day.

Food sources rich in vitamin A?

Colorful fruits and vegetables provide lots of vitamin A. Here are some examples of the best sources of vitamin A:

60 ml of carrot juice: 22,567 IU

30 g of sweet potato: 12,907 IU

A fresh carrot is about 19 cm long: 8,666 IU

30 g cooked carrots: 6,709 IU

30 g spinach: 5,729 IU

30 g of peanut butter: 5,717 IU

30 g of kale: 4,979 IU

60 g canned vegetables: 2,910 IU

30 g cantaloupe: 1,352 IU

30 g canned apricots or apricot juice: 1,031 IU

30 g red bell pepper : 720 IU

30 g of mango: 631 IU

60 g of instant oatmeal: 626 IU

60 g broccoli: 603 IU

30 g of frozen peas: 525 IU

60 ml of tomato juice: 546 IU

 1 egg: 320 IU

60 ml of milk: 250 IU

30 g canned peaches or canned peach juice: 236 IU

15 g cheese: 142 IU

30 g green bell pepper: 137 IU

30 g of fresh peaches: 125 IU

30 g papaya: 83 IU.

The amount of vitamin A in foods varies and depends on the size of the vegetables. Your baby may eat more or less of the foods listed above depending on their age and taste, so estimate the amount of nutrients that are most appropriate for your baby.