FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Boy, 8, left permanently blind after fussy eating habits saw him eat nothing but chicken nuggets, sausages and biscuits
In the UK, about one in 10 people might have a mild vitamin A deficiency, though severe cases are pretty rare
AN eight-year-old child is now permanently blind after his picky eating habits left him severely malnourished.
The schoolboy, from Malaysia, lived on nothing but chicken nuggets, sausages, and cookies since he was a baby.
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He was severely lacking in a vital vitamin needed to keep his optic nerves healthy, according to a doctor who shared the story on , last week.
The nightmare started in second grade in Kuala Lumpur when the boy cried out, "Teacher, why can't I see anything?"
He was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with severe vitamin A deficiency.
In the UK, about one in 10 people might have a mild vitamin A deficiency, though severe cases are pretty rare.
Read more on eyes
Vitamin A helps make rhodopsin, a protein in the retina that helps with vision in low light.
The boy had likely suffered from optic neuropathy, a condition where the optic nerve wastes away due to a lack of the vitamin.
The disease causes a painless decrease in vision but if caught early, can be treated with dietary supplements to replenish the missing nutrients.
However, if left untreated or not immediately it can lead to optic nerve atrophy, which cannot be reversed.
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Dr Erna Nadia, a Malay social media doctor, wrote in a post: "As a mother. we can't always cook because we are busy, pity for the parents of this student, it is not easy for them to accept."
She’s urging parents to watch for signs of vitamin A deficiency, like dry eyes, grey spots on the whites of the eyes, night blindness, or tear production issues.
To supplement or not- The top 10 vitamins and minerals that are vital for health - and the best sources for each one
"I'm sharing not to condemn anyone," she added, "I'm sharing as a reminder for myself because I don't cook everyday either.
"Let's try including a healthy menu and eating the right food every day."
Foods high in vitamin A include spinach, carrots, mangoes, dairy milk, apricots, fish, chicken, eggs and sweet potatoes.
The deficiency is sometimes associated with an eating disorder called avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
Children with ARFID are extremely selective eaters and sometimes have little interest in eating food.
They may eat a limited variety of preferred foods, which can lead to poor growth and poor nutrition.
Am I vitamin A deficient?
Not getting enough vitamin can lead to vision problems, weak immunity, and even increased risk of death
Symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency can differ in severity. Some people may have more serious complications than others.
Signs to watch for:
- Trouble seeing in low light (night blindness)
- Grey spots on the whites of the eyes,
- Dry eyes
- Delayed growth in children
- Infertility
- Picking up more coughs and colds than usual
- Tear production issues
If you suspect a vitamin A deficiency, your doctor can perform an eye exam and a blood test to check your vitamin A levels.
Make sure to eat vitamin A-rich foods like carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
Your doctor may also prescribe supplements to take alongside a healthy diet.
Source: WedMD
ARFID usually starts at younger ages than other eating disorders and is more common in boys.
Similar cases, linked to ARFID, have been reported in the UK and US
Bella Mildon, an autistic child from the UK, went blind in 2021 after her limited diet of Marmite sandwiches, fries, and water.
Medics said the 12-year-old had a vitamin A deficiency.
In 2019, a mum whose son went blind after only eating crisps and chocolate spoke to The Sun to raise awareness of the ARFID.
Kerry James, then 45, was concerned when her teenage son Harvey Dyer, 18, told her he was unable to see.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Doctors carried out tests on the boy who also had ARFID and found all of his vitamin and mineral levels were dangerously low.
Medics put his vision loss down to a lack of nutrition in his diet.
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