Clinical Study Title:
Impact of supplementing newborn infants with vitamin A on early infant mortality: community based randomised trial in southern India.

Plain English Summary:

This study looked at the use of vitamin A supplements for newborn babies to examine the effect on mortality. Over 11,000 newborns were given either a placebo or a vitamin A supplement in the first days of life. Those infants who were given the vitamin A supplement had a reduced risk of death. This suggests that a vitamin A supplement in the first days of life can help to reduce the risk of death.

Authors

Aravind Centre for Women, Children and Community Health, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Institution

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Country of Publication

England

Source

BMJ. 327(7409):254, 2003 Aug 2.