A highly restrictive diet that was limited to potatoes, pork, lamb, apples, cucumbers and Cheerios led to an 11-year-old boy’s severe vision loss, according to a report of the boy’s case.
None of those foods is a good source of vitamin A, and indeed, when doctors tested the boy’s blood to measure levels of the vitamin, they found that he was severely deficient in vitamin A, according to the report, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in October 2017.
Vitamin A is essential for vision because it helps certain cells in the eyes function properly. Without enough of the vitamin, a person can develop severely dry eyes and a buildup of material on the outer covering of the eyes. Vitamin A deficiency can also lead to problems in the retina, which is home to light-sensing cells that make vision possible.
To treat the vitamin deficiency, doctors gave the boy “megadoses” of vitamin A intravenously. The appearance of his eyes improved significantly, but his vision may be permanently damaged, according to the report. By Sara G. Miller, Staff Writer, livescience.com
Are you and your kids eating foods with vitamin A?