3.3. Recommended Daily Allowance and Supplementation
The recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 450 µg for infants up to 12 months of age. The dietary reference intakes in older children are different based on age-sex group (Table 1).
Compared with those in adults, neonates present low levels of vitamin A, and lower vitamin A stores and plasma retinol concentrations are seen in low-birthweight infants and in preterm newborns. Thus, vitamin A is used in preterm infants, due to the demonstrated efficacy in improving respiratory function and preventing development of chronic lung disease [30,31]. Furthermore, supplementation with vitamin A is recommended in case of latent vitamin A deficiency using a dose of 1500 µg daily. In children at risk of vitamin A deficiency, rates of mobility and mortality, probably associated with viral infection such as measles, have been reduced by a weekly doses of vitamin A at the RDA level [29,32].