Serum folate and vitamin B12 status in young Brazilian children

Objective To assess the nutritional status of folate and vitamin B-12 with anaemia in young children. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted at the primary health-care centres of four Brazilian cities. Folate and vitamin B-12 were assessed by fluoroimmunoassay. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to explore the association of folate and vitamin B-12 status in relation to anaemia in young children. Setting Brazil. Participants Children (n 460) aged 11 to 15 months. Results The median (interquartile range) of serum folate was 39 center dot 7 (28 center dot 8-55 center dot 3) nmol/l and only four children presented with folate deficiency (<10 nmol/l). Surprisingly, 30 center dot 9 % of children presented with serum folate concentrations above the upper limit of detectable values by the commercial kit used for analysis. The frequency of vitamin B-12 deficiency (<148 pmol/l) was 15 % and it was inversely associated with the highest tertile of serum folate concentrations (P<0 center dot 001). Having high serum folate concentration (>= 50 center dot 1 nmol/l) and vitamin B-12 >= 148 pmol/l was associated with lower frequency of anaemia in these children (prevalence ratio=0 center dot 53; 95% CI 0 center dot 30, 0 center dot 92). Conclusions High frequency of elevated serum concentration of folate was found among young Brazilian children and 15 % of them had vitamin B-12 deficiency. The combination of high serum folate and normal vitamin B-12 status was associated with a lower frequency of anaemia in these children. Improvements in the current strategies to promote healthy food-based complementary feeding along with prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies are recommended to improve children's health.