MURTHY ET AL : DOWN SYNDROMF. IN AHMEDABAD 727

13. Krishna Murthy DS, Prajapati BS, Desai AB. Down's syndrome associated with absent patella : A ease report. Indian J Pediatr 1984; 51 : 729

14. Krishna Murthy DS, Multani AS, Desai AB.

Aminoaciduria in Down's syndrome : a possible cause for psychomotor retardation. XVHI International Confermce of Pediatrics Honolulu, Hawai, July 1986

VITAMIN A SAVES LIVES

High dose vitamin Asupplements can save the lives of children who have meas- les. Researchers split 180 children with measles and very low serum vitamin A con- centrations into two groups. The first group underwent routine measles t reatment; the second group received routine treatment plus two 200,000 IU doses of vitamin A prior to treatment, all of the children were almost identical in age, severity of measles, vitamin A status, and general nu!ritional state. Mortality in the supplemented group was half that in the unsupplemented group. Vitamin A supplementation was most beneficial and in children under two years of age and in cases complicated by croup or laryngotracheobronchitis. Overall, malnourished children had the highest death rates. When children with marginal vitamin A stores develop measles, their avail- able vitamin A depletes rapidly. This apparently reduces the ability to resist secondary infections and their conseq~aences.

Abstracted from : Barclay AJE et al. Vitamin A supplements and mortality related to measles : A randomised clinical trial. Br Med J 1987; 294 : 294-296.