Overview

This guideline provides global, evidence-informed recommendations on the use of vitamin A supplements in infants and children 1–5 months of age for the reduction of morbidity and mortality.

The guideline will help Member States and their partners in their efforts to make informed decisions on the appropriate nutrition actions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in particular, reduction in child mortality (MDG 4). The guideline is intended for a wide audience including policy-makers, their expert advisers, and technical and programme staff in organizations involved in the design, implementation and scaling-up of nutrition actions for public health.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Summary
• Scope and purpose
• Background
• Summary of evidence
• Recommendation
• Remarks
• Implications for future research
• Guideline development process
  • Advisory groups
  • Scope of the guideline, evidence appraisal and decision-making
• Management of conflicts of interest
• Plans for updating the guideline
• References
• Annex 1. Additional analyses
• Annex 2. GRADE “Summary of findings” table
• Annex 3. Members of the WHO/UNICEF Steering Committee for guidelines on vitamin A supplementation
  • WHO
  • UNICEF
• Annex 4. Members of the Vitamin A Supplementation Guideline Group, WHO Secretariat and external resource experts
  • A Members of the Vitamin A Supplementation Guideline Group
  • B WHO
  • C WHO regional offices
  • D External resource experts
• Annex 5. Members of the External Experts and Stakeholders Panel
  • A Members commenting on priority questions on vitamin A supplementation (October 2009)
  • B Members commenting on the draft guideline on vitamin A supplementation (March 2011)
• Annex 6. Questions in Population, Intervention, Control, Outcomes (PICO) format
• Annex 7. Summary of considerations for determining the strength of the recommendation

WHO thanks the Government of Luxembourg for providing financial support for this work.

Suggested citation:

WHO. Guideline: Vitamin A supplementation in infants 1–5 months of age. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.

The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters.

All reasonable precautions have been taken by the World Health Organization to verify the information contained in this publication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material lies with the reader. In no event shall the World Health Organization be liable for damages arising from its use.