Background: Vitamin A deficiency may increase the responsiveness of the respiratory tract and increase the risk of respiratory tract infection, resulting in airway obstruction and wheezing. This study aimed to investigate the relation between vitamin A deficiency and infant wheezing.

Methods: Three ml venous blood samples were collected from 331 hospitalized children who suffered from wheezing to determine the serum vitamin A concentration and the relationship between vitamin A and some causative factors of wheezing.

Results: The severity of vitamin A deficiency was related to the course of wheezing. In the persistent wheezing group, 14 patients (34.1%) were diagnosed as having severe vitamin A deficiency and 16 patients (39%) having moderate vitamin A deficiency; among the acute wheezing group, 18 patients (16.4%) were diagnosed as having severe vitamin A deficiency and 32 patients (29%) having moderate vitamin A deficiency. Comparison of the two groups revealed that there was a significantly higher rate of moderate and severe vitamin A deficiency in the persistent wheezing group than in the acute wheezing group (P<0.01). The severity of vitamin A deficiency was related to the infants' wheezing severity. Severe vitamin A deficiency was found in 24 patients (47%) in the severe wheezing group and 8 (8%) in the mild and moderate wheezing groups. The rate of severe vitamin A deficiency was significantly higher in patients with severe wheezing than in those with mild and moderate wheezing (P<0.01).

Conclusions: Serum vitamin A deficiency could be commonly found in infants with wheezing. The severity of vitamin A deficiency might be related to the course of wheezing and the infants' wheezing severity.

Key words: infant; vitamin A deficiency;  wheezing

                  World J Pediatr 2010;6(1):81-84