Children health includes physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Parents and care givers know the importance of nutrition to a child’s physical and mental development. Under five (up to 5 years) is the intense growth and development take place in child’s life. The vaccination is also complete in this age including the vitamin A drops. During this age, children can suffer from dehydration, diarrhoea, malnutrition, and infectious disease. Vitamins were largely discovered during the search for the cures of classic diseases that were initially thought to be associated with dietary deficiencies. As early as 1753 a British naval surgeon, Dr. James Lind, observed that long voyages when sailors were forced to live on very limited rations because no fresh foods were available, many of them became ill and diea is that 80% of cases are preventable. Most of those can be due to lack of awareness of nutritional resources “As by definition vitamin A deficiency is a systemic disease that affects the cells throughout the body. The deficiency of vitamin A can be prevented easily by under five by increasing conception of carotene rich food, breast feeding and proper immunization which helps to reducing the infection”5 Nutrition education is given to bring awareness in the population and especially the mothers of under five children. It reduces the vitamin A deficiency in children also improve the health status [1-4].

• To assess    the    knowledge   regarding   vitamin A prophylaxis among mothers of under five children.
• To determine the practice regarding vitamin A
• prophylaxis among mothers of under five children.
• To find out the association of knowledge with selected demographic variables among mothers of under five children.
• To find out the relationship between knowledge and
• practice regarding vitamin A prophylaxis among mothers of under-five children.

H₀- There is a significant association between knowledge and selected demographic variables.

Research approach: Research approach adopted for the study was Quantitative approach.

Research design: Research design used in this study was Descriptive analytical study.

Research setting: The study was conducted in selected communities of Aikkaranadu Panchayath, which has 14 wards and a population of 25,369. The total number of less than five is 1069, which include 550 male and 519 female babies. And 2 wards covered to complete 100 samples. The study was conducted in selected villages of Ernakulam district.

Sampling technique: The sampling technique selected for the study was convenience sampling, which is a non- probability method of sampling.

Distribution of socio demographic variable of mothers of fewer than five children

Out of 100 samples around 42% of mothers belongs to 26- 30years of age, only 8% are in the age group of 36-40years. And 41% of mothers belongs to 31-35 years age group. Most of the mothers (75%) achieved degree and above education. Around 17% of mothers educated till higher secondary and 8% of mothers educated till SSLC. Majority of mothers (52%) are private employees. Around 38% of mothers are home  makers and 10% of mothers are Govt. employees. Most of the fathers (66%) are education upto degree. Around 22% of mothers are educated up to higher sencondary and 12% have SSLC education. Most of the (61%) fathers are private employees. Around, 10% are govt. employees and 3% are doing business. Majority of mothers (52%) have two children and only (12%) mothers have three children. Most of them are belongs to (54%) nuclear family. Rest of the mothers (46%) belongs to joint family. About (42%) of them has monthly income of 30000 and more. Around 38% of respondents have monthly  income between 10001-30000 and 20% have income between 5001- 10000. There is no (100%) family history of vitamin A deficiency. All the children (100%) are immunized [5-8].

Level of knowledge regarding vitamin A prophylaxis among mother

Knowledge was assessed by structured knowledge questionnaire. In this study it shows that 6% had adequate knowledge, 43% had moderate knowledge, 57% had poor knowledge regarding vitamin A prophylaxis. It revealed that medium knowledge score is 12 with IQR 10-15.

Practice regarding vitamin A prophylaxis among mothers of fewer than five children

Out of 100 samples 69% subjects responded that they are taking vitamin A dropes from Govt. Hospital, 9% subjects from private hospitals and 22% subjects are from other places like anganwady. Sixty one(61%) subjects responded that they themselves are accompanying the child to take vitamin A dropes, for  22% samples,  father  is accompanying, and for  17% samples

their  grandparents are accompanying.  Sixty four(64%)  samples

responded that they are reminded themselves about vitamin A dropes by ASHA worker, and 36% samples are by other modes like immunisation cards. Twenty (20%) mothers responded that they missed any one of vitamin A dropes, and they didn’t take any measures. Sixty one (61%) samples responded that they give yellow colour fruits to their children weekly, 20% and 19% samples monthly and daily respectively. Sixty two samples (62%) responded that they give egg to their children  weekly, 18% of samples responded that they give egg daily and 12% of subjects give monthly. Fourty eight samples (48%) responded that they give green vegetables weekly, 29% and 23% samples used to give green vegetables daily and monthly respectively. Self reported checklist revealed that majority of children missed 3rdto 4th vitamin A doses, since no other vaccination in the form of injection is accompanied along with vitamin A dropes.

Association knowledge regarding vitamin A prophylaxis with demographic variables

The study findings revealed that there is significant association between 0ccupation of parents with level of knowledge regarding vitamin A prophylaxis. The level of significance was 0.05. But there is no significant association between knowledge regarding vitamin A prophylaxis with other demographic variables.

This study was done to assess the knowledge and practice regarding vitamin a prophylaxis programme among mothers of under five children in Aikkaranadu Grama Panchayath. In this study project based on the fact due to avoidance of vitamin A prophylaxis programme, there is increase in the number of night blindness and xerophthalmia. A non-experimental design was chosen for the study. The sample consist of 100 subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria and selected by non-probability convenient sampling technique.

• The same study can conduct by using large samples to generalize the
• A structured teaching program can be planned to empower the community, so that uneducated mothers also understand vitamin A prophylaxis program and its

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