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B12 deficiency is common in infants and is accompanied by serious neurological symptoms
T Irevall1, I Axelsson1, E Naumburg1,2
1Unit of Research, Education and Development, Östersund Hospital, Östersund, Sweden.
Insights
Vitamin B12 deficiency in infants can cause severe neurological symptoms like seizures. Early diagnosis is crucial as this condition is more common than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with adverse neurological outcomes in infants.
- Understanding the clinical presentation in this population is essential for timely diagnosis and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the clinical presentation of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants.
- To identify common symptoms and demographic factors associated with this deficiency.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records of infants under one year of age admitted with neurological symptoms.
- Inclusion criteria: infants born between 2004-2012 tested for vitamin B12 levels.
- Diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency based on serum cobalamin, homocysteine, and methylmalonate levels.
Main Results:
- Out of 121 infants tested, 35 (28.9%) were diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency.
- The deficiency was diagnosed at an average age of 1.7 months and was more prevalent in boys.
- Seizures and apparent life-threatening events were the most frequent symptoms in infants with vitamin B12 deficiency.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin B12 deficiency in infants presents with severe neurological symptoms, including seizures and apparent life-threatening events.
- The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in symptomatic infants was higher than anticipated.
- This highlights the importance of considering vitamin B12 deficiency in the differential diagnosis of infant neurological symptoms.
Aim:
Adverse neurological symptoms have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency in infants. This explorative study described the clinical presentation associated with vitamin B12 deficiency in this age group.
Methods:
The study comprised infants who were born between 2004 and 2012 and were tested for vitamin B12 levels after they were admitted to a hospital with neurological symptoms at less than one year of age. Vitamin B12 deficiency was defined as low cobalamin in serum and/or increased homocysteine and/or increased methylmalonate. It was diagnosed according to the applicable International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, and recorded as vitamin B12 deficiency in the medical records. All information was retrieved from medical records and compared to symptomatic infants with normal levels.
Results:
Of the 121 infants tested, 35 had vitamin B12 deficiency and 86 had normal levels. Vitamin B12 deficiency was diagnosed at an average age of 1.7 months and was more common among boys. Seizures and apparent life-threatening events were the most common symptoms among infants with B12 deficiency compared to infants with normal levels.
Conclusion:
Vitamin B12 deficiency was more common in infants than we expected and presented with severe symptoms, such as seizures and apparent life-threatening events.
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