Vitamin A supplementation for children with respiratory infections

Pneumonia is the most severe form of acute lower respiratory tract infection and is the leading cause of death among children worldwide. Evidence shows that vitamin A supplementation reduces the severity of measles-associated pneumonia, and this has led to studies assessing the effectiveness of vitamin A supplementation for children with non-measles respiratory infections, particularly pneumonia.

So far the evidence has been inconsistent. Some authors have described no effect of vitamin A supplementation, while others have reported positive effects only for specific groups, such as underweight children or children with pre-existing vitamin A deficiency. Further research is needed before definitive recommendations can be made.