Vitamin B12 Level in Children

Introduction: Vitamin B12 deficiency may have serious results and surplus vitamin may be guiding in the process/follow-up of some diseases. It was aimed to determine the vitamin B12 level (by retrospective screening) in children without chronic disease who applied to our outpatient clinic. Materials and Methods: After excluding acute and chronic diseases, vitamin B12 levels, age, gender, and the season of presentation were investigated in all patients who applied to the general pediatric outpatient clinic, only in children with complaints of fatigue, decreased appetite, and healthy child examination. Results: Three thousand one hundred and sixty three children were included in the study. Vitamin B12 deficiency was present in 5.5% individuals, vitamin B12 insufficiency was present in 23.6% individuals, and high vitamin B12 level was present in 2.1% individuals. The age range with the lowest vitamin B12 levels in both female and male children was found to be 14-18 years (p<0.001). Vitamin B12 deficiency and borderline deficiency were mostly seen in August and July (p<0.001). Conclusion: Vitamin B12 deficiency and borderline deficiency were observed in approximately one third of patients, most frequently in the age group of 1-3 years, and in the adolescent age group in summer season.