Abstract:

Purpose: Vitamin B12 deficiency in infancy can cause severe demyelinating central nervous system disorder. Most cases are exclusively breast-fed infants born to mothers with deficient vitamin B12 stores. As maternal vitamin B12 stores are the main determinant of neonatal vitamin B12 status, we aimed to determine the vitamin B12 status of pregnant women at term in our region. Materials and Methods: Serum vitamin B12, folate and plasma homocysteine concentrations in addition to routine testings were measured 1-24 hour(s) before delivery in 62 pregnant women. Besides, infants born to mothers with laboratory evidence of vitamin B12 deficiency were referred to pediatric hematology unit for evaluation. Results: Thirty-six (58.1%) women had a low serum vitamin B12 level (9.99 µmol/L). All of the 20 infants examined had normal neurodevelopmental findings. Vitamin B12 supplementation resulted in normalization of vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels in all the cases. Conclusion: The frequency of neonatal vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to maternal deficiency may be higher than thought in Samsun province of Turkey. Large-scale screening studies may reveal its prevalence more accurately, and may help in taking preventive measurements.

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