Association of Serum Vitamin A and D Status with  Neuropsychological Development Outcomes in Children Aged 4 to 24 Months: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Fazli  Akbar; Yong  Guo; Jieling  Wu; Zhenlie  Huang

doi:10.18502/ijph.v54i5.18636

Fazli Akbar Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Yong Guo Department of Children's Health Care, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
Jieling Wu Department of Children's Health Care, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
Zhenlie Huang Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i5.18636

Keywords: Early childhood; Serum vitamin A; Serum vitamin D; Cognitive development; Developmental delays

Abstract

Background: We aimed to assess the prevalence of serum Vitamin A and D status and their potential association with neuropsychological development outcomes in Southern China.

Methods: A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted in Guangzhou, China, with 4,206 children aged 4 to 24 months between 2018 and 2020. Data from the hospital’s electronic database included serum levels of Vitamin A and D, along with neuropsychological outcomes. Linear regression model was used to assess the association between serum Vitamin A and D status and neuropsychological outcomes, while multiple binary logistic regression model was applied to determine the association of these Vitamins’ levels with different neuropsychological developmental delays, adjusting for age, gender, and other potential confounders.

Results: Overall, 12.7% of children were found to be deficient in Vitamin A, while 2.5% were deficient in Vitamin D. Marginal Vitamin A deficiency (MVAD) was prevalent in 58.5% of the children, and 19.4% exhibited Vitamin D insufficiency (VDI). Neuropsychological developmental delays were observed in 7.7% to 16.8% of the children across various domains. However, there were no significant differences in neuropsychological outcomes among children with varying Vitamin A and D statuses (P-value>0.05). Even after adjusting for potential confounders, the association between Vitamin A and D levels and neuropsychological development outcomes remained statistically non-significant.

Conclusion: Significant correlation between HRF level and MetS criteria revealed that field-based tests HRF components, can be used to recognize MetS criteria among adolescents with obesity.