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Neurological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency and its treatment.
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008 Aug; 24(8):538-41.PE

Abstract

In developed countries, the vitamin B12 deficiency usually occurs in children exclusively breast-fed, whose mothers are vegetarians, causing low stores of vitamin B12. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency appear during the second trimester of life and include failure to thrive, lethargy, hypotonia, and arrest or regression of developmental skills. A megaloblastic anemia can be present. One half of the infants exhibit abnormal movements before the start of treatment with intramuscular cobalamin, which disappear 1 or 2 days after. More rarely, movement disorders appear a few days after treatment, whereas neurological symptoms are improving. These abnormal movements can last for 2 to 6 weeks. If not treated, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause lasting neurodisability. Therefore, efforts should be directed to preventing deficiency in pregnant and breast-feeding women on vegan diets and their infants by giving them vitamin B12 supplements. When preventive supplementation has failed, one should recognize and treat quickly an infant presenting with failure to thrive and delayed development.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Chalouhi C
Département des urgences pédiatriques, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France. christel.chalouhi@nck.ap-hop-paris.fr
Faesch S
No affiliation info available
Anthoine-Milhomme MC
No affiliation info available
Fulla Y
No affiliation info available
Dulac O
No affiliation info available
Chéron G
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Breast FeedingDevelopmental DisabilitiesDiet, VegetarianFailure to ThriveHumansInfantMaleMovement DisordersVitamin B 12Vitamin B 12 Deficiency

Pub Type(s)

Case Reports
Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

18708898

Citation

Chalouhi, Christel, et al. "Neurological Consequences of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Its Treatment." Pediatric Emergency Care, vol. 24, no. 8, 2008, pp. 538-41.
Chalouhi C, Faesch S, Anthoine-Milhomme MC, et al. Neurological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency and its treatment. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008;24(8):538-41.
Chalouhi, C., Faesch, S., Anthoine-Milhomme, M. C., Fulla, Y., Dulac, O., & Chéron, G. (2008). Neurological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency and its treatment. Pediatric Emergency Care, 24(8), 538-41. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013e318180ff32
Chalouhi C, et al. Neurological Consequences of Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Its Treatment. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2008;24(8):538-41. PubMed PMID: 18708898.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Neurological consequences of vitamin B12 deficiency and its treatment. AU - Chalouhi,Christel, AU - Faesch,Sabine, AU - Anthoine-Milhomme,Marie-Constance, AU - Fulla,Yvonne, AU - Dulac,Olivier, AU - Chéron,Gérard, PY - 2008/8/19/pubmed PY - 2008/10/4/medline PY - 2008/8/19/entrez SP - 538 EP - 41 JF - Pediatric emergency care JO - Pediatr Emerg Care VL - 24 IS - 8 N2 - In developed countries, the vitamin B12 deficiency usually occurs in children exclusively breast-fed, whose mothers are vegetarians, causing low stores of vitamin B12. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency appear during the second trimester of life and include failure to thrive, lethargy, hypotonia, and arrest or regression of developmental skills. A megaloblastic anemia can be present. One half of the infants exhibit abnormal movements before the start of treatment with intramuscular cobalamin, which disappear 1 or 2 days after. More rarely, movement disorders appear a few days after treatment, whereas neurological symptoms are improving. These abnormal movements can last for 2 to 6 weeks. If not treated, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause lasting neurodisability. Therefore, efforts should be directed to preventing deficiency in pregnant and breast-feeding women on vegan diets and their infants by giving them vitamin B12 supplements. When preventive supplementation has failed, one should recognize and treat quickly an infant presenting with failure to thrive and delayed development. SN - 1535-1815 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/18708898/Neurological_consequences_of_vitamin_B12_deficiency_and_its_treatment_ L2 - https://doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013e318180ff32 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -