B12 deficiency can cause life threatening disease due to megaloblastic anaemia with cytopaenias or neurological abnormalities (regression/seizures). Findings in children include delay or regression of developmental milestones, feeding difficulties, hypotonia, lethargy or hyperirritability, microcephaly and coma.
How Can My Doctor Tell If My Child Is Deficient in B12? Your child's vitamin B12 levels can be checked through a routine blood test, also known as a complete blood count or CBC, or a B12 serum test. Your child's pediatrician can order the tests.
Vitamin B12 deficiency in early childhood is an important cause of neurodevelopmental delay and regression. Most of these cases occur in exclusively breast-fed infants of deficient mothers.
a pale yellow tinge to your skin. a sore and red tongue (glossitis) mouth ulcers. pins and needles (paraesthesia)
Key points about vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Symptoms include weak muscles, numbness, trouble walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and increased heart rate. Treatment may include vitamin B12 supplements. It is also important to eat a well-balanced diet.
strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet. difficulty walking (staggering, balance problems) anemia. a swollen, inflamed tongue.
A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed as depression, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, iron-deficiency-anemia, MS or hypochondria. Patients have often been to the doctor many times, visited multiple doctors and have had numerous tests done, before the B12 deficiency was found.
The tests used to diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency are a complete blood count (CBC) and a vitamin B12 blood test level. A person is diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency if the amount of vitamin B12 in their blood is less than 150 per mL.
Stage 1 is decreased levels of vitamin B12 in the blood. Stage 2 is low concentration of vitamin B12 in the cell and metabolic abnormalities. Stage 3 is increased levels of homocysteine and MMA and decreased DNA synthesis resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Stage 4 is macrocytic anemia.
Vitamin B-12 is essential for brain development, neural myelination, and cognitive function.
In this longitudinal study of schoolchildren, vitamin D deficiency in middle childhood was associated with higher parent-reported externalizing problems scores such as higher aggressive and rule-breaking behaviors and internalizing problems scores such as anxiety disorders in adolescence.
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in your child's nervous system. It helps with brain development and ensures efficient transmission of messages by forming the sheaths around neurons. Also, adequate vitamin B12 can help improve your kid's concentration along with their overall mental ability.
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Weakness, tiredness, or lightheadedness. Heart palpitations and shortness of breath. Pale skin. A smooth tongue.
Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.
Deficiency of Vitamin B12 can result in hematological changes, neurological and psychiatric problems, which can manifest as irritability, changes in personality, depression, and memory loss [9]. It is also known to worsen depression by excitotoxic reactions caused by the accumulation of homocysteine [10].
Apples Aside from being an important inclusion in a list of vitamin B12 fruits, apples are also rich in fibre, antioxidants, and flavonoids. Apples also comprise polyphenols that are found in both the peel and the pulp of the nutrient-dense fruit.
It depends on the brand, but generally a home test for B12 will work a little like this: You order a test online or pick up a test kit from a store/clinic. It will likely contain a finger prick and corresponding vial to collect blood from your finger so that it can be tested for vitamin B12.
[1] People who regularly take medications that suppress stomach acid for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease—such as proton-pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, or other antacids—may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.
An abnormally high vitamin B-12 status is anything over 900 pg/mL. This result may suggest liver or kidney problems, diabetes, or certain forms of leukemia.
Pernicious anemia is a relatively rare autoimmune disorder that causes diminishment in dietary vitamin B12 (cobalamin) absorption, resulting in B12 deficiency and subsequent megaloblastic anemia. It affects people of all ages worldwide, particularly those over 60.
Vitamin B12 plays a role in the development of red blood cells. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause significant changes in the bone marrow, which can mimic acute leukemia, a serious condition. So, while vitamin B12 deficiency can give rise to a similar clinical picture as leukemia, it does not cause the condition.
A lack of B12 may lead to depression, confusion, memory problems, and dementia. It also can affect your balance. B12 supplements are usually safe.
Adolescents who have a borderline level of vitamin B12 can develop signs of cognitive changes. A combined vitamin, mineral, amino acid treatment may be effective in improving attention and self-control in children with ADHD.
You get vitamin B12 from animal foods including meat, fish, eggs and milk, and also from some fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin B12 helps with red blood cell production and promotes growth. You get vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruit, kiwi fruit, capsicums and potatoes.
Some options include pureed poultry or mashed fish, yogurt, or scrambled eggs. Aim for a variety of animal products throughout the week. As your little one gets older, continue to increase texture and variety of the B12-rich foods you offer.