Vitamin B-12, part of the B complex of vitamins, is important in the formation of red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen in the blood to the body's tissues. The body stores several months' supply of B-12, but children do not have such large reserves, so they are at particular risk of developing vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Dietary sources of B-12
Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin, which means the body excretes unused amounts of the vitamin in the urine. This also means that we need a daily supply of vitamin B-12, especially children. Foods that are good sources of vitamin B-12 include milk and other dairy products, fish, eggs, and meats. Plant products are not a good source of vitamin B-12. Stomach acid is necessary to release vitamin B-12 from food, and intrinsic factor, a protein secreted by the stomach cells, helps absorb the vitamin into the bloodstream.
B-12 deficiency
The causes of vitamin B-12 deficiency in children include lack of enough stomach acid to separate vitamin B-12 from foods or a lack of intrinsic factor, which can occur from pernicious anemia, a condition whereby the cells in the stomach that secrete intrinsic factor are damaged by the body's immune system. Other conditions that cause malabsorption of nutrients from the stomach and intestines, for example, celiac disease, a condition in which wheat products cause inflammation in the gut, can also result in a deficiency of B-12.
Symptoms of Deficiency
The initial symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency in children are non-specific and include dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite. According to Lab Tests Online, vitamin B-12 deficiency, in combination with folate, another B vitamin, causes megaloblastic anemia, a condition in which the body produces fewer and larger red blood cells, which impairs their ability to carry oxygen. This can cause shortness of breath, lightheadedness and paleness. Another consequence of vitamin B-12 deficiency is nerve damage, causing tingling and numbness in a child's hands and feet.
Treatment
Children who lack intrinsic factor to absorb vitamin B-12, or have other conditions like celiac disease that cause malabsorption, need injection of the vitamin for correction of the deficiency and life-long supplementation. Depending on the degree and duration of the deficiency, the anemia will resolve, but children may exhibit permanent nerve damage.
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