Effect of vitamin B12 deficiency on neurodevelopment in infants: current knowledge and possible mechanisms.
Dror DK, Allen LH. (2008) Nutr Rev. 66(5) 250-5.
Abstract:
Severe vitamin B(12) deficiency produces a cluster of neurological symptoms in infants, including irritability, failure to thrive, apathy, anorexia, and developmental regression, which respond remarkably rapidly to supplementation.
The underlying mechanisms may involve delayed myelination or demyelination of nerves; alteration in the S-adenosylmethionine:S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio; imbalance of neurotrophic and neurotoxic cytokines; and/or accumulation of lactate in brain cells.
This review summarizes the current knowledge concerning infantile vitamin B(12) deficiency, including a pooled analysis of case studies of infants born to mothers with untreated pernicious anemia or a strict vegetarian lifestyle and a discussion of the mechanisms that may underlie the manifestations of deficiency.
FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:
Vitamin B12 can be obtained only from animal-derived foods, or by supplementation. Vegan diets therefore lead to deficiency unless the diet is adequately supplemented with B12.This review summarises the importance of vitamin B12 for brain development in pregnancy and infancy, and includes an analysis of 30 cases of severe vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy in vegan women with pernicious anemia.
Around 60% of the infants born to these women had severe developmental delays and 37% had cerebral atrophy.
Following supplementation to replete B12, many of the neurological symptoms in these infants improved. However, follow-up showed that 50% of the infants still had developmental delays even with repletion of B12, indicating that the brain damage they had suffered was not fully reversible.
See also
Food and Behaviour Research is a registered charity (No SC034604) and a company limited by guarantee (Co No SC 253448)
Newsletter Signup
Useful Links
Contact Us
FAB Research
23 Carlton Road
Oxford
OX2 7SA
Important Notice
Medical opinion and guidance should always be sought for any symptoms that might possibly reflect a known or suspected disease, disorder or medical condition. Information provided on this website (or by FAB Research via any other means) does not in any way constitute advice on the treatment of any medical condition formally diagnosed or otherwise.
Site by Redstone Websites. Easy to Use Web Content Management. 2024 © All Rights Reserved.