Research paper

Effect of neonatal vitamin A supplementation on mortality in infants in Tanzania (Neovita): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

The Lancet

Apr 2015

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61731-1

Citations: 67

Influential: 2

Interventional (Human) Studies

Study answer

What this study found

Neonatal vitamin A did not reduce mortality by 6 months. Deaths by 6 months were 407/15 428 in the vitamin A group versus 372/15 464 in the placebo group, with RR 1•10 (95% CI 0•95-1•26; p=0•193) and RD 2•32 (95% CI -1•17 to 5•82). Mortality was also similar at 28 days (RR 1•04, 95% CI 0•86-1•25) and 12 months (RR 1•04, 95% CI 0•93-1•17). The intervention was well tolerated, with no important excess of adverse events within 3 days, and no differential effect by sex.

Study & population: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in newborn infants from Dar es Salaam and Morogoro regions of Tanzania.
Intervention: Newborns received a single oral capsule of vitamin A, 50,000 IU as retinol palmitate, within the first 3 days after birth.
Key limitation: Interpretation is limited to a single-dose neonatal intervention in newborns from specific Tanzanian regions who could feed orally and whose families planned to stay for follow-up.

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Original abstract

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