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Neuro-regression in vitamin B12 deficiency
Sanwar Agrawal1, Shweta Nathani
1Ekta Institute of Child Health, Pediatrics, Near Ram Mandir, Shantinagar, Raipur 492001, India.
BMJ Case Reports
|June 21, 2011
Summary
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neuroregression in infants, even when mothers are affected. Prompt treatment with vitamin B12 led to positive responses in two infants presenting with apathy and hypotonia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Neuroregression in infants presents diverse causes.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency is an infrequent but significant etiology.
- This deficiency can arise from maternal strict vegan diets or infant malnutrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report two cases of infantile neuroregression linked to maternal vitamin B12 deficiency.
- To highlight the clinical presentation and diagnostic findings.
- To demonstrate the efficacy of vitamin B12 supplementation.
Main Methods:
- Case study of two infants (10 and 8 months) born to mothers with vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Clinical assessment including evaluation of apathy, hypotonia, and lethargy.
- Laboratory testing of serum vitamin B12 levels.
- Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T2-weighted sequences.
Main Results:
- Both infants exhibited clinical signs of neuroregression, including apathy, hypotonia, and lethargy.
- Confirmed low serum vitamin B12 levels in both patients.
- Cranial MRI revealed frontoparietal cortical atrophy in both infants.
- Significant clinical improvement was observed following vitamin B12 treatment.
Conclusions:
- Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to severe neurodevelopmental issues in infants.
- Early diagnosis and intervention with vitamin B12 are crucial for recovery.
- This condition underscores the importance of maternal nutritional status during pregnancy and lactation.
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