Severe vitamin B12 deficiency in an infant associated with a maternal deficiency and a strict vegetarian diet
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Rachel Weiss1, Yacov Fogelman, Michael Bennett
1Department of Family Medicine, Ha'Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
Abstract:
The authors present a case of severe megaloblastic anemia and neurologic damage due to vitamin B12 deficiency in a 6-month-old infant. The cause of the vitamin deficiency was a maternal dietary deficiency because of a strict vegetarian diet and prolonged breast-feeding. The importance of early recognition of significant maternal vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy and lactation in vegetarians is emphasized so that appropriate supplementation can be given and irreversible neurologic damage in the infant prevented.
Related Concept Videos
Vitamins
Pedigree Analysis
Bacterial Gastroenteritis
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the colonic...
Botulism
Development of Human Microbiota

