To Örebro University

Aim: Investigation of serum concentrations of vitamins A and D in Iranian infants. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, investigating 7112 infants (1523 months of age) from all regions of Iran, who attended health care centres from May 25 to June 2, 2001. Unequal clusters with unequal household sizes were sampled. Vitamin A and D levels were analysed with high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: The mean (SD) concentration of vitamin A was 2.09 (0.83) mu mol/L. At a national level, 0.7% of the infants had a level indicating deficiency, and 0.5% of the infants had insufficient concentrations of vitamin A, defined as serum concentrations < 0.35 and < 0.7 mu mol/L retinol, respectively. A total of 88% of infants had optimal concentrations (> 1.4 mu mol /L). The mean (SD) concentration of vitamin D was 61.3 (31.4) nmol/L. Deficiency was found in 2.8% of infants (< 25 nmol/L), and insufficiency in 32.9% (< 50 nmol/L). Suboptimal and optimal concentrations were found in 44% and 20%, representing 50-75 and > 75 nmol/L, respectively. Girls had lower vitamin D concentrations than boys (p = 0.006). Conclusion: As in developed countries, vitamin A deficiency was rare in Iranian infants. Vitamin D deficiency was also rare, but 33% of infants had insufficient levels; this was more common in girls than boys.