An 8-year-old boy in Malaysia has tragically gone permanently blind due to an extremely poor diet limited to chicken nuggets, sausages, and cookies since infancy. The boy only realized his vision was deteriorating when he asked his teacher, “Why can’t I see anything?” He was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with severe vitamin A deficiency, leading to irreversible optic nerve atrophy.
Vitamin A is crucial for healthy eyes, producing pigments in the retina needed for low-light vision. Deficiency can cause symptoms such as dry eyes, trouble seeing in dim light, and vision impairment. While rare in developed countries, vitamin A deficiency remains a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide.
Dr. Erna Nadia, a Malaysian physician, shared the case to raise awareness, urging parents to ensure children receive nutritious diets with vitamin A-rich foods such as leafy greens, carrots, eggs, and fortified products.
