KARACHI, Jan 1: Ten to 20 per cent of children in the country, under five years of age, are reported to be suffering from Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), said a recent UNICEF report.

The situation, attributed to consumption of food containing very low or even no content of vitamin A, was also stated as leading to partial or absolute blindness among children, besides a wide range of other diseases, ultimately leading to death.

Because of poverty and low literacy level in Pakistan, the situation tends to get grimmer as a significant majority of people are yet to realize its importance, while many others do not even know the easily available sources to acquire the vitamin.

The report said early detection of acute VAD on part of the health workers and even mothers could help contain the situation. Initially, the affected child is unable to see properly in the dark and in certain instances his handicap could be witnessed in a dark room during day time.

A mother should immediately turn cautious noticing her child tumbling and crashing against things in darkness, the report stressed, mentioning that the child might be suffering from night blindness.

Such children are also unable to watch for long in sharp day light as tears start rolling out of their eyes, the condition must again be taken as a warning and a doctor should be immediately approached.

Those inflicted with VAD also complain of irritation in their eyes, which often remain red. Small-sized bitot spots may also develop within the eyes, which after sometimes may emerge as a white-coloured thick substance.

Timely medical intervention could help prevent the stage where ulcers develop within the eyes and the child ultimately looses sight.

While proper supplementation of Vitamin A could help restore the sight of the effected child, this however depends on the intensity of the damage caused.

As long as the condition is restricted to night blindness and eruption of bitot spots, there is always a possibility of recovery. However, once the ulcers develop, chances of restoration is severely restricted.

Apart from blindness, children suffering from VAD are also vulnerable to diarrhoea and pneumonia.—APP