Comparison of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Insufficiency in Children in Terms of Hemogram Parameters

The aim of this study is to investigate whether hemogram findings change in children with vitamin B12 deficiency or insufficiency.

A total of 495 cases were included in the study. Of these, 158 patients (32.0%) with vitamin B12 levels below 200 pg/mL were classified as group 1, while 336 patients (68.0%) with levels between 200 and 300 pg/mL were classified as group 2. The hemogram parameters of the cases were compared.

This cross-sectional study examined the electronic records of patients who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic of a tertiary hospital between 2022 and 2024. Hematological findings were detected in 63 (12.8%) of all cases, including 25 (5%) of those with vitamin B12 deficiency. Anemia was detected in 28 patients (5.7%), and macrocytosis in 12 patients (2.4%), with no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .408 and P=.212, respectively). Only 1 patient had macrocytic anemia. Leukopenia and bicytopenia were significantly more prevalent among patients with vitamin B12 deficiency (P=.015 and P=.014, respectively).

This study demonstrated that while hematological findings may be normal in vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, macrocytosis, macrocytic anemia, and reductions in other cell lines may be observed in cases of insufficiency. It also determined that the presence of macrocytosis is not a prerequisite for diagnosing vitamin B12 deficiency.