Serum folate, vitamin B12 levels and clinicohematological profile in 200 anaemic children aged 1-5 years

Authors

  • Sunita Arora Department of Paediatrics, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Pushpjeet Singh Sheemar Department of Paediatrics, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Mandeep Singh Khurana Department of Paediatrics, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Jaskiran Kaur Department of Paediatrics, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India
  • Ashwani Kumar Department of Paediatrics, Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar, Punjab, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20184274

Keywords:

Anaemia, Folate, Iron deficiency, Vitamin B12 deficiency

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted in 200 anaemic children aged 1-5 years to check their serum folate, vitamin B12 levels and their correlation with sociodemographic parameters and clinicohaematological profile.

Methods: Present study was a hospital based observational cross-sectional study carried out in paediatric OPD and IPD of tertiary care institute in Amritsar. Study subjects included 200 anaemic children aged 1-5 years attending paediatric OPD or admitted in IPD of paediatrics department of SGRDIMSAR, Amritsar. Serum folate, vitamin B12 levels were measured in 200 enrolled anaemic children and their correlation with sociodemographic parameters and clinicohaematological profile was studied.

Results: Isolated vitamin B12 deficiency was present in 22 (11%), folate deficiency in 28 (14%) and combined deficiency was present in 10 (5%) cases. Isolated vitamin B12 deficiency was more prevalent in 1-2-year age group 10 (45.5%) cases, isolated folate deficiency in 2-3 years age group 12 (42.9%) cases whereas combined deficiency was more prevalent in 4-5 years age group 6 cases (60%). Statistically significant correlation was observed between severity of anaemia and poor socio-economic status, nutritional status, rural background. There was statistically significant association between vitamin B12 deficiency and poor socioeconomic status. Folate and combined deficiency had a positive correlation with age group. Combined vitamin B12 and folate deficiency had a statistically significant correlation with severity of anaemia.

Conclusions: Apart from iron deficiency anaemia, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency contributes significantly in total prevalence of anaemia. Vitamin B12 and folate supplementation is equally important in prevention as well as treatment of nutritional deficiency anaemias in paediatric population.

References

Irwin JJ, Kirchner JT. Anaemia in children. Am Fam Phys. 2001;64(8):1379-86.

Kapur D, Agarwal KN, Agarwal DK. Nutritional anaemia and its control. Indian J Pediatr. 2002;69(7):607.

Allen LH, De Benoist B, Dary O, Hurrell R. World Health Organization. Guidelines on food fortification with micronutrients.2002.

Singh RK, Patra S. Extent of anaemia among preschool children in EAG States, India: a challenge to policy makers. Anemia. 2014;2014.

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and ICF. 2017. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16: India. Mumbai: IIPS.

Allen L, Benoist DB, Dary O, Hurrell R. Guidelines on Food Fortification with Micronutrients. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. 2006.

Allen L, Casterline-Sabel J. Prevalence and causes of nutritional anemias. Nutritional Anemia. 2001:7-21.

Kapur D, Agarwal KN, Agarwal DK. Nutritional anemia and its control. The Ind J Pediatr. 2002;69(7):607.

Rush D. Nutrition and maternal mortality in the developing world. The Am J Clin Nut. 2000;72(1):212S-40S.

Combs GF Jr. The Vitamins. 4th ed. United States: Academic Press; 2012:4.

Abularrage CJ, Sidawy AN, White PW, Aidinian G, DeZee KJ, Weiswasser JM, et al. Effect of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 on microcirculatory vasoreactivity in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Vascular and Endovascular Surg. 2007;41(4):339-45.

Ranelli L, Watterson R, Pandya R, Leung AA. Vitamin B12 deficiency with combined haematological and neuropsychiatric derangements: a case report. J Med Case Reports. 2014;8(1):277.

WHO, UNICEF, UNU. Iron deficiency anaemia: assessment, prevention and control, a guide for programme managers. Geneva, WHO. 2001.

Mahajan SK, Aundhaka SC. A study of the prevalence of serum vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency in western Maharashtra. J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4(1):64-8.

Thomas D, Chandra J, Sharma S, Jatin A, Pemde HK. Determinants of nutritional anaemia in adolescents. Indian Pediatr. 2015;52(10):867-9.

Chhabra A, Chandar V, Gupta A, Chandra H. Megaloblastic anaemia in hospitalized children. JIACM. 2012;13(3):195-7.

Cuevas-Nasu L, Mundo-Rosas V, Shamah-Levy T, Humaran IM, Ávila-Arcos MA, del Rosario Rebollar-Campos M. Prevalence of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency in Mexican children aged 1 to 6 years in a population-based survey. Public Health of Mexico. 2012;54(2):116-24.

Khanduri U, Sharma A. Megaloblastic anaemia: prevalence and causative factors. National Med J India. 2007;20(4):172-5.

Kapil U, Bhadoria AS. Prevalence of folate, ferritin and cobalamin deficiencies amongst adolescent in India. J Family Med Prim Care. 2014;3(3):247-9.

Rao SS, Goyal JP, Raghunath SV, Shah VB. Hematological profile of sickle cell disease from south Gujarat, India. Hematop Rep.2012;4(2):e8.

Gomber S, Kumar S, Rusia U, Gupta P, Agarwal KN, Sharma S. Prevalence and etiology of nutritional anaemias in early childhood in an urban slum. Indian J Med Res.1998;107:269-73.

Downloads

Published

2018-10-22

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles