Abstract:

Aim: In this study, we evaluated the clinical and laboratory data of healthy children with vitamin B12 deficiency. The benefits of methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine levels and the difficulties encountered in diagnosing vitamin B12 deficiency were pointed out. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 healthy children whose serum cobalamin levels were below 126.5 pg/ml were included in the study. The age, gender, serum vitamin B12, urine MMA, plasma homocysteine, white blood cell, hemoglobin, thrombocyte, main corpuscular volume (MCV), main platelet volume (MPV), folic acid, and ferritin levels were obtained retrospectively from the hospital’s medical records. The correlation analysis test compared vitamin B12 with MMA and homocysteine. Results: The mean age was 8.21±6.15 years, and vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 6.29% of healthy children. Cobalamin levels ranged from 50-126 pg/ml, with a mean of 102.57±18.97 pg/ml. Urine MMA and serum homocysteine levels were 0.59±0.67 ng/ml and 13.50±0.67 g/dl, respectively. The correlation coefficient value (r) was found to be -0.342 and -0.437, moderately negative for MMA and homocysteine, respectively. MMA levels were normal in 36 patients, and homocysteine levels were normal in 48 patients. Conclusions: Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common micronutrient deficiency in children. The diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency can be complex in healthy children who do not display typical laboratory findings, particularly elevated MMA and homocysteine.

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