A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in an ongoing growth monitoring research project in TamilNadu, India, to assess the role of high dose vitamin A supplementation on the growth of mild to moderately malnourished children < 3 y old. The treatment group received 60 mg of vitamin A and the control group received a placebo every 4 mo. Infants 6-11 mo of age received only 30 mg of vitamin A Cases of xerophthalmia and severe malnutrition were excluded. Anthropometric measurements and serum retinol determinations were made at baseline and at the end of 1 y. The two groups were similar at baseline in nutritional status, serum retinol, age-sex composition and other socio-demographic indicators. The mean height increments were 9.20 +/- 3.51 and 9.01 +/- 3.41 cm/y for the vitamin A-treated (n = 310) and placebo (n = 282) groups, respectively, and the mean weight increments were 2.02 +/- 0.83 and 1.99 +/- 0.81 kg/y, respectively. The differences in growth increments between the two groups were not statistically significant. These findings remain unaltered following multivariate analysis and suggest the lack of an effect of vitamin A supplementation on growth in young children where access to health care and immunization are good.