Vitamin A deficiency and corneal ulceration in south-east Nepal: implications for preventing blindness in children

Abstract

A retrospective review of the outpatient records of 4601 children aged 0-10 years who had been seen between January 1986 and December 1988 at Lahan Eye Hospital, south-east Nepal, revealed that 15.4% had evidence of active or past xerophthalmia. Of 293 children with corneal xerosis or corneal ulcer, 49% had been examined in the 4-month period May-August. The peak age for active noncorneal xerophthalmia was 5 years and for active corneal xerophthalmia, 3 years. Previous population-based studies in Nepal have documented the presence of noncorneal xerophthalmia (Bitot's spots) in children. The present study confirms that vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of blindness and loss of vision among children in the eastern plains of Nepal.