Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia in an exclusively breastfed infant born to an ileum-resected mother

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for folate metabolism and DNA synthesis. It acts as a cofactor for two key enzymatic reactions, methylation of homocysteine to methionine and conversion of methylmalonyl coenzyme A (CoA) to succinyl CoA.1 Deficiency of vitamin B12 results in an accumulation of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, resulting in hematologic and neurologic manifestations.1 Although vitamin B12 deficiency is rare in developed countries, it is important to recognize this condition because early treatment can prevent potentially devastating neurologic sequelae.

Source: Pediatrics and Neonatology - June 28, 2019 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Akihiro Tamura, Nanako Nino, Nobuyuki Yamamoto, Akiyoshi Naito, Kousaku Matsubara, Naoko Nakatani, Takayuki Ichikawa, Sayaka Nakamura, Atsuro Saito, Aiko Kozaki, Kenji Kishimoto, Toshiaki Ishida, Yosuke Shigematsu, Daiichiro Hasegawa, Yoshiyuki Kosaka Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research