An 8-year-old boy from Malaysia went permanently blind due to a dangerously limited diet. For years, he has been only eating chicken nuggets, sausages and cookies. This lead to a severe deficiency of Vitamin A in his body, causing damage to his optic nerves.

How Diet Led to Blindness

Since childhood, the child has eaten only fast food. He never ate fruits, vegetables or dairy products, unlike other children of his age. This was slowly leading to Vitamin A deficiency which was realised only when the eyes started giving signals.

His body couldn’t produce retinal pigments essential for vision due to lack of Vitamin A. This led to optic neuropathy, a degenerative condition that causes permanent blindness.

What Is Vitamin A Deficiency?

Vitamin A helps produce rhodopsin which is a protein required for low-light vision. When these levels drop, vision starts to deteriorate slowly. The worst thing is it is often undetected until it's too late.

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What Are The Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency

• Dry eyes or gray patches on the eyes
• Poor night vision
• Failure to produce tears normally
   

What Care Can Parents Take To Avoid Such a Situation?

Parents with picky eaters need to be extra careful because they skip the food groups. This can create nutritional gaps that may not show up immediately, but can have long-term effects on their health.

Keep looking for symptoms so you can prevent it before it becomes a serious problem.

What Foods To Include In Daily Diet For Vitamin A

1. Green leafy veggies are the best source of Vitamin A.
2. Go for orange and yellow vegetables and fruits. They are usually rich in Vitamin A. Carrots, pumpkin and mango can be a good start.
3. Dairy products, fish and eggs are also good sources.
    

If diet alone doesn’t provide enough, doctors may also recommend supplements.

Not every child who eats fast food is at risk. But restrictive diets can be dangerous. A child who refuses food or survives on snacks is at real risk. Let’s try to have balanced plates for our children so their growing bodies and minds get what they truly need.