Define Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency - Inadequate diet?
A child is born with poor stores of vitamins and minerals due to maternal malnutrition. Diets of pregnant women are deficient in several nutrients, including vitamin A. The concentration of vitamin A in breast milk is low among undernourished mothers and the poorest mothers delay complementary feeding beyond the age of one year and foods containing vitamin A are seldom given. The daily intake of vitamin A is about 100 mg while the recommended intake is 400 mg of retinol. The exclusively vegetable based diets, therefore, contain p-carotene and little or none of preformed vitamin A, except from breast milk.