Vitamin B-12 is essential for brain development, neural myelination, and cognitive function.
The B12 RDA for kids 1-3 years old is 0.9 mcg. But in order to absorb enough to meet daily needs given the factors above, kids should take a single 10 mcg supplement.
Symptoms and signs of vitamin B12 deficiency appear between 2 to 12 months and include vomiting, lethargy, failure to thrive, hypotonia, and arrest or regression of developmental skills. Treatment with vitamin B12 corrects these metabolic abnormalities very rapidly within a few days.
Milk and milk products are good sources of vitamin B12. Many ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin B12. Fish and red meat are excellent sources of vitamin B12. Poultry and eggs also contain vitamin B12.
It is well documented that B 12 deficiency can cause developmental delay, hypotonia, tremor, seizures, failure to thrive, reduced IQ, and mental retardation. Children with B 12 deficiency exhibit speech, language, and social delays, behavioral issues, and problems with fine and gross motor movement.
Vitamin B12: Baby, toddler, and parent diet
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.
The causes of a vitamin B12 deficiency in children can be divided into 3 categories: reduced intake, malabsorption, and congenital errors in the transport & metabolism of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can result from decreased dietary intake, impaired absorption (e.g., intrinsic factor deficiency) and malabsorption (e.g., due to chronic gastritis or bacterial overgrowth). Breastfed infants of vegan mothers are also at risk.
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.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that high-vitamin B12 values are usually benign in children but some patients may develop leukemia later. We suggest that patients should be followed up for some time after testing for severe hematological diseases.
Recommended Dietary Allowance
Infants up to 6 months old need 0.4 microgram per day, and those between 7 and 12 months old need 0.5 microgram per day of vitamin B-12. The RDA for children between the ages of 1 and 3 is 0.9 micrograms per day, and for children from 4 to 8 the requirement is 1.2 micrograms per day.
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.
memory loss. pins and needles. loss of physical co-ordination (ataxia), which can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking.
If vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated, it can cause lasting serious side effects that affect the nervous system and brain. More severe side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency include: Peripheral neuropathy. Degeneration of the spinal cord.
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.
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
And given B12 is required for the production of red blood cells, a deficiency in Vitamin B12 can lead to a deficiency in Iron. This is why the onset of anemia is often the result of a B12 deficiency rather than an Iron deficiency on its own.
Conclusion: Data from this study indicate that oral vit-B12 (1000 μg) for 4 months is effective, giving clinicians more choice, for treatment of children with nutritional vit-B12 deficiency.
Most adults and children aged 2 years and over can take cyanocobalamin. It's not suitable for everyone. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor before starting cyanocobalamin if you: have ever had an allergic reaction to cyanocobalamin or any other medicine.
Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products. It's not typically found in plant-based and other foods unless they are fortified.
The treatment for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia depends on what's causing the condition. Most people can be easily treated with injections or tablets to replace the missing vitamins.
A severe vitamin B12 deficiency may damage nerves, causing tingling or loss of sensation in the hands and feet, muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, difficulty walking, confusion, and dementia. The diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency is based on blood tests.
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].
Research has shown that Methyl B12, also known as methylcobalamin, can help relieve symptoms of autism. In the body, B12 assists with detoxification because it is a critical factor of the methylation pathway that helps the body make the powerful antioxidant, glutathione.