ASCORBIC ACID STATUS IN 6-60 MONTH OLD CHILDREN IN SIRJAN VILLAGES

Abstract

Six- to sixty months old children were studied in Sirjan villages, divided into villages with or without a health house (HH). All the 893 children were medically examined and their food intake was assessed, using the 24-hours dietary recall method. Ascorbic acid was determined in blood samples of 199 children. The results obtained are as follows: 1; the average vitamin C intake for all the children were more than the respective RDA, being 32.3+32 mg. In the 13-24 months group, however, the intake was 25.1+17.8 mg. 2; As compared with the standard, a smaller percentage of 6-12 months old subgroup suffered from vitamin C deficiency relative to other subgroups, which might be because of breast feeding. 3; Altogether 30% of the children had a low intake. 4; the mean total blood ascorbic acid in all the subgroups was significantly higher than the standard. 5; There was no significant difference between the two regions with regard to blood ascorbic acid, there was no difference in two sexes either. 6; only 1.5% of all the children had a low blood vitamin C level. 7; A low dietary intake of vitamin C was a nutritional problem among the children, but biochemical and clinical findings did not confirm this.