LESSONS FROM THE THIRD WORLD

American pediatricians are often unaware of significant developments in international health, especially when they are reported in non-pediatric journals. A case in point is summarized by this abstract of a study from Java: In a controlled trial, fortification of commercially marketed monosodium glutamate (MSG) with vitamin A improved serum vitamin A levels of young children and the vitamin A content of breast milk of lactating women. These improvements in vitamin A indices were accompanied by dramatic changes in health and anthropometric status. During the course of the study, the prevalence of Bitot's spots among children in program villages fell progressively from 1.2% at base line to 0.2% 11 mo after introduction of the fortified product (p