Thiamin status in normal and malnourished children in Jamaica

Thiamin status has been measured using the erythrocyte transketolase (EC 2.2.1.1) assay in twenty-eight normal children and in twenty-five severely-malnourished children throughout the course of recovery. Subclinical thiamin deficiency was found in 7% of the normal children and 36% of the malnourished children on admission. There was no significant association between thiamin status and oedema, stunting or wasting, history of breast-feeding, pattern of weaning, age or sex. Five malnourished children, who died, all had a normal thiamin status on admission; however, two developed biochemical evidence of thiamin deficiency preterminally.