Percorsi clinici
Quando una vitamina fa la differenza...!
When a vitamin makes the difference...!
Paola Gallo1, Andrea Lambertini2, Chiara Landini2, Elisa Mazzoni2, Federico Marchetti3
1Scuola di Specializzazione in Pediatria, Università di Ferrara
2UOC di Pediatria, Ospedale Maggiore, Bologna
3UOC di Pediatria e Neonatologia, Ospedale di Ravenna, AUSL della Romagna
Aprile 2016 - pagg. 231 -236
Abstract
Vitamin B12 deficiency, a rare condition in the paediatric population, can lead to serious
haematological consequences and alterations in the neurocognitive development if
not promptly recognized and treated. The paper reports the cases of two infants of 12
and 10 months of age who presented with an important developmental regression and
macrocytic anaemia. The deficiency in cobalamin was also confirmed by maternal
blood samples, in one case due to unrecognized finding of pernicious anaemia and in
the other to a diet poor in cobalamin. The beginning of therapy with vitamin B12 led to
a prompt clinical improvement in both cases, but involuntary movements appeared.
They are a benign condition of unknown etiology that improved with a short symptomatic
treatment with benzodiazepine. The prognosis of vitamin B12 deficiency is better
if the diagnosis is made within the first year of life. Maternal history allows the identification
of any risk conditions, especially nutritional, such as vegan maternal diet. In these
cases, vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy and lactation prevents deficiency
in breastfed infants.
Parole chiave
Classificazione MeSH
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Corrispondenza: paola.gallo85@gmail.com