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Overview :
Vitamin A deficiency may develop in a person if certain risk
factors are present.
Age-related risk for vitamin A deficiency:
(1) infants, especially if premature
(2) small children less than 5 years of age, especially in a
developing country
Conditions associated with vitamin A deficiency:
(1) cirrhosis
(2) diet deficient in vitamin A
(2a) breast milk from a woman
with low vitamin A
(2b) chronic alcohol intake (poor
dietary intake)
(2c) low intake of green
vegetables, fruit and dairy products
(2d) failure to take vitamin
supplements
(3) fat malabsorption, including abetalipoproteinemia and
cystic fibrosis
False positive diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency:
(1) zinc
deficiency (may appear to be vitamin A deficienct because of depressed plasma
concentrations of retinol and retinol binding proteins)
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