INTRODUCTION Vitamin A deficiency is a major public-health problem in Bangladesh, where it is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and blindness among preschool children (1-3). Vitamin A is found as retinyl esters as in egg-yolk, whole milk, butter, and liver, or as provitamin A carotenoids, as in dark green-leafy vegetables, carrots, and red/orange/yellow-coloured fruits. Vitamin A deficiency can result in more severe infections and greater mortality due to diarrhoea and measles, especially in preschool children because vitamin A is essential for normal immune function. It is also essential for growth, reproduction, and vision (4).
