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. 2008 Feb 14;4(Suppl 1):24–85. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00124.x

Table 26.

Impact on plasma vitamin A concentration of complementary feeding interventions

Author Site Target group Study groups n Vitamin A dose
(µg RE) Mean plasma retinol
(µg dL−1) % low
(<20 µg dL−1)
Efficacy trials
Lartey et al. (1999) Ghana 12 months Fortified maize/legume 29 658 day−1 28.0 ± (8.6)* 10.4*
Maize/legume/fish 34 0 24.0 ± (11.4) 34.3
Maize/fish 32 0 26.3 ± (8.6) 28.1
Maize/legume 37 0 26.6 ± (11.4) 27.0
Faber et al. (2005) South Africa 12–18 months Fortified maize 68 (phase 1) 500 day−1 34.6 ± (10.0)* NA
71 (phase 2) 500 day−1 22.9 ± (8.6) NA
Unfortified maize 71 (phase 1) 0 31.5 ± (8.0) NA
64 (phase 2) 0 27.2 ± (7.4) NA
Smuts et al. (2005) South Africa 12–18 months Daily MMN 49 375 day−1 +1.7 ± (1.1) NA
Weekly MMN 46 750 week−1 −0.3 ± (1.4) NA
Daily iron 49 0 −1.4 ± (1.4) NA
Placebo 50 0 −0.6 ± (1.4)
(change from baseline) NA
Oelofse et al. (2003) South Africa 18 months Fortified food 16 360 day−1 26.8 ± (6.6)* NA
Control 14 0 21.4 ± (5.7) NA
Zlotkin et al. (2003) Ghana 14–26 months Sprinkles™ with Fe + vitamin A 55 600 day−1 21.2 ± (8.6) NA
Sprinkles™ with Fe 47 0 22.3 ± (6.6) NA
Programmes
Lutter et al. (2006) Ecuador 20–26 months Programme 74 83 day−1 31.0 ± (6.7)* 6.7
Control 80 0 28.4 ± (7.8) 15.4
López de Romaña (2000) Peru 6–23 months Intervention 60 649 day−1 28.2 ± (7.0) 36 baseline 8 final
Control 47 0 27.7 ± (6.4) NA

MMN, multiple micronutrients; NA, not available. *Means are significantly different from control (P < 0.05).