Vitamin A & Childhood Mortality

The Cochrane Collaboration and Library is the epitome of evidence-based medicine.  They sort through volumes of data and innumerable studies to arrive at a consensus derived from science rather than expert opinion.  Of course, that limits what statements they're willing to make.  But when they speak, to paraphrase E. F. Hutton, you should listen.

In this particular instance, Cochrane just released their meta-analysis of 43 trials of over 215,000 children 6mo-5yo and concluded that vitamin A would reduce all-cause mortality by 24% compared to placebo, mostly from death due to diarrheal illnesses & measles.  Cochrane felt so strongly that they stated that no more randomized double blind placebo controlled studies of vitamin A for all-cause mortality were necessary in this age range.

Cochrane also warned that high-dose vitamin A would be followed by vomiting over the next few days.  At least here in the States, there's probably no need for high dose vitamin A but rather a daily multivitamin should suffice without unnecessary risk.