Use of the deuterated-retinol-dilution technique to monitor the vitamin A status of Nicaraguan schoolchildren 1 y after initiation of the Nicaraguan national program of sugar fortification with vitamin A.

Background: Nicaragua initiated a national program of vitamin A fortification of its domestic sugar supply starting with the 1999-2000 sugarcane harvest.

Objective: This study was conducted to document any change in the vitamin A status of a cohort of children during the first year of the program.

Design: The vitamin A status of 21 Nicaraguan schoolchildren (mean age: 6.