High-dose vitamin A supplementation is recommended in infants and children 6–59 months of age in settings where vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem1 (strong recommendation2).
A suggested vitamin A supplementation scheme for infants and children 6–59 months of age is presented in .
Suggested vitamin A supplementation scheme for infants children 6–59 months of age.
- 1
Determination of vitamin A deficiency as a public health problem involves estimating the prevalence of deficiency in a population by using specific biochemical and clinical indicators of vitamin A status. Classification of countries based on the most recent estimates is available in reference (1).
- 2
A strong recommendation is one for which the guideline development group is confident that the desirable effects of adherence outweigh the undesirable effects. The recommendation can be either in favour of or against an intervention. Implications of a strong recommendation for patients are that most people in their situation would want the recommended course of action and only a small proportion would not. Implications for clinicians are that most patients should receive the recommended course of action, and that adherence to this recommendation is a reasonable measure of good-quality care. With regard to policy-makers, a strong recommendation means that it can be adapted as a policy in most situations.
