Proper nutrition and essential vitamins are a vital part of any child’s development. A recent study written by the JAMA Pediatrics Journal Challenge discusses the particularly difficult case of a small boy who had gone blind.
Science Alert
The 11-year-old boy was admitted to the clinic when he was stricken with sudden vision loss. He also had severely dry skin and bad eczema. The culprit? A severe lack of Vitamin A due to his dietary restrictions.
The boy was suffering from eczema and severe food allergies, which lead to his strict diet of meat, potatoes, and cereal. Unfortunately, this diet lacked a lot of essential nutrients to keep the boy healthy, and the severe lack of Vitamin A in his body lead to systematic vision loss.
Vitamin A is located in several major food groups that provide a great dose of nutrition for the body. Vitamin A can be found in many foods including, Broccoli, Carrots, Pumpkin, Kale, Butternut Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Eggs, Apricots, and many more. If a person goes a long enough period without Vitamin A, they can suffer from dry skin and Xerophthalmia which is a result of the keratinization of the eyes, which can lead to permanent vision loss.
The 11-Year-Old-Boy was immediately put on a supplement of 200,000 international units (IU) over two days. To put this into perspective, a normal recommended daily intake of Vitamin a is around 2,000 to 3,000 (IU).
Unfortunately, in the case of severe Vitamin A deficiency, the boy’s vision loss may be permanent. His eyesight improved after the first dose of Vitamin A, and it is not clear the extent of vision that will be repaired over the course of the treatment. It may be that the vision loss is too far gone.
The child is to be put on a new diet to include more nutrients, and will also be put on a Vitamin supplement to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
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