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Use of the deuterated-retinol-dilution technique to monitor the vitamin A status of Nicaraguan schoolchildren 1 y after initiation of the Nicaraguan national program of sugar fortification with vitamin A^1,2,3

¹ From the Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University, Boston (JDR-M, GGD, and RMR); the Center for Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging and Metabolism, Guatemala City (NWS and JB); and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua, Nicaragua (YM and CBW)

Background: Nicaragua initiated a national program of vitamin A fortification of its domestic sugar supply starting with the 1999-2000 sugarcane harvest.

Objective: This study was conducted to document any change in the vitamin A status of a cohort of children during the first year of the program.

Design: The vitamin A status of 21 Nicaraguan schoolchildren (mean age: 6.7 y; range: 5.3–9.3 y) was assessed in March 2000 and in March 2001. Total-body vitamin A stores and liver vitamin A concentrations were estimated with the deuterated-retinol-dilution (DRD) technique at a dose of 5 mg [²H₄]retinyl acetate at baseline and 5 mg [²H₈]retinyl acetate during the repeat test 1 y later. Plasma retinol and carotenoids were measured by HPLC.

Results: Median total-body vitamin A stores increased from 0.33 to 0.72 mmol (P = 0.0001), liver vitamin A concentrations from 0.52 to 0.78 µmol/g (P = 0.0003), and plasma retinol concentrations increased from 0.97 to 1.17 µmol/L (P = 0.01).

Conclusion: The vitamin A status of Nicaraguan schoolchildren improved during the year after the initial distribution of vitamin A–fortified sugar in Nicaragua.

Key Words: Vitamin A • total-body vitamin A stores • liver vitamin A • deuterated retinol dilution • stable-isotope dilution • retinol • carotenoids • ß-carotene • vitamin A–fortified sugar • Nicaraguan children

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