@article {Checkleyerj00069-2011, author = {W. Checkley and K.P. West, Jr and R.A. Wise and L. Wu and S.C. LeClerq and S. Khatry and J. Katz and P. Christian and J.M. Tielsch and A. Sommer}, title = {Supplementation with vitamin A early in life and subsequent risk of asthma}, elocation-id = {erj00069-2011}, year = {2011}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.00006911}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Animal models suggest that vitamin A deficiency affects lung development adversely and promotes airway hyper-responsiveness, and may predispose to an increased risk of asthma. We examined the long-term effects of vitamin A supplementation early in life on later asthma risk.In 2006{\textendash}2008, we revisited participants from two cohorts in rural Nepal enrolled in randomized trials of vitamin A supplementation. The first cohort received vitamin A or placebo for \<16 months during their pre-school years (1989{\textendash}1991). The second cohort was born to mothers who received vitamin A, beta-carotene or placebo before, during and after pregnancy (1994{\textendash}1997). At follow-up, we asked about asthma symptoms and performed spirometry.Of 6421 eligible to participate, 5430 (85\%) responded to our respiratory survey. Wheezing prevalence during the past year was 4.8\% in participants aged 9{\textendash}13 years and 6.6\% in participants aged 14{\textendash}23 years. We found no differences between the vitamin A supplemented versus placebo groups from either trial in the prevalences of lifetime or current asthma and wheeze or in spirometric indices of obstruction (p>=0.12 for all comparisons).Vitamin A supplementation early in life was not associated with a decreased risk of asthma in an area with chronic vitamin A deficiency.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/06/20/09031936.00006911}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/06/20/09031936.00006911.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }