Sana Manazir, Fatima Jawed, Waseem Jamalvi, Muzamil Shabana Ejaz.
Prevalence of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Exclusively Breastfed Infants and its Association with Maternal Vitamin B12 Stores.
Pak Paed J Jan ;46(2):171-5.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, Civil Hospital Karachi from January 27, 2021 to July 27, 2021. Material and Methods: The study was conducted among 193 exclusively breastfed full-term infants from 0-6 months of age of either gender presenting in pediatric outpatient department for immunization services, regular follow-up visit and minor complaints (mild viral illnesses, fever, runny nose, cough, diarrhea) with no danger signs and severe disease requiring resuscitation and urgent referral. Results: Of 193 infants, the mean maternal vitamin B12 was 192.11 +- 53.16 pg/ml. The frequency of maternal vitamin B12 deficiency was 59.6% (n=115). The mean infant vitamin B12 was 202.90 +- 49.36 pg/ml. There were 118 (61.1%) infants with vitamin B12 deficiency. A significantly higher proportion of vitamin B12 deficiency was observed among infants with vitamin B12 deficient mothers (p-value 0.004). Conclusion: The frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency was found to be higher in breastfed infants.

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