An 8-year-old boy in Malaysia has permanently lost his vision due to an extremely poor diet, highlighting the dangers of severe vitamin deficiencies in children.
According to iHeart, the child had reportedly eaten little else but chicken nuggets, sausages, and cookies since infancy. His condition only came to light when he asked a teacher: “Why can’t I see anything?” The concerned school staff then rushed him to the hospital.
Doctors diagnosed the boy with severe vitamin A deficiency, a condition that, while rare in developed countries, remains one of the leading causes of childhood blindness worldwide. In this case, the deficiency led to optic atrophy – irreversible damage to the optic nerve that causes permanent vision loss.
Dr. Erna Nadia, a well-known Malaysian physician with a strong social media presence, shared the case on Facebook to raise awareness. “As a mother, I understand it’s not always easy to prepare nutritious meals when you’re busy. Pity for the parents of this student – it’s not easy for them to accept,” she wrote.
Warning Signs of Vitamin A Deficiency
The Daily Mail reports that Dr. Nadia urged other parents to watch for early symptoms of vitamin A deficiency, which can include:
- Dry eyes
- Trouble seeing in low light
- Gray spots or shadows on the whites of the eyes
- Difficulty producing tears
How to Prevent Vitamin A Deficiency
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vitamin A is essential for healthy vision and overall immune function. To avoid deficiency, diets should include:
- Leafy green vegetables and broccoli
- Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and other orange/yellow vegetables
- Mangoes, oranges, cantaloupe, and papayas
- Eggs, dairy products, liver, beef, and chicken
- Fortified foods like cereal, rice, wheat, and soybeans
- Fatty fish such as salmon
In some cases, especially in developing countries, vitamin A supplements may be necessary – particularly for infants, young children, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
While vitamin A deficiency is uncommon in places like the U.S., its impact globally is severe. The World Health Organization reports it as the leading cause of preventable blindness in children around the world.
This case echoes a similar incident reported by the Daily Mail in October last year, where a 12-year-old boy from Massachusetts also lost his sight due to a nutrient-poor diet.