Correlation between maternal and infant vitamin B12 levels in severe malnutrition in infants under 6 months.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition poses a significant global health challenge, affecting various age groups, with infants under 6 months being particularly vulnerable. Vitamin B12, an essential micronutrient critical for neurological development, has been identified as a key player in the overall health of both mothers and infants. AIM: To find the correlation between serum vitamin B12 levels in infants, 1-6 months of age with severe malnutrition and maternal levels at tertiary care hospitals in western Rajasthan. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the UNICEF Regional Center of Excellence-supported Nutrition Rehabilitation Center in Rajasthan, India, through simple random sampling. One hundred ten infants with their mothers were enrolled after consent and approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. RESULTS: Severe malnutrition predominantly affected infants aged 1-2 months, with 77% born small for gestational age and 66.4% belonging to the multiple birth order group. Serum vitamin B12 levels showed a significant positive correlation between mothers and infants (p < 0.001), while exclusive breastfeeding correlated positively with age-appropriate milestones (p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions addressing maternal and infant nutrition, with a focus on ensuring adequate vitamin B12 levels.

Developmental Assessment in Neonatal Hypernatremic Dehydration Cohort at 18-30 months of Age Using DASII Score.

Developmental assessment of neonatal hypernatremic dehydration cohort was done at 18-30 mo of age using Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII) score in relation to brain lesions detected on brain imaging. Long-term follow-up evaluations were performed in 45 out of initial cohort of neonatal hypernatremic dehydration and compared with 45 controls with normal sodium levels. Seven percent of infants in the study group had a delay in development at 24 mo of age. The severity of hypernatremia was strongly correlated with poor developmental outcome at 24 mo (p = 0.001). Abnormal magnetic resonance imaging patterns strongly correlated with poor developmental outcome at 24 mo (p = 0.001). Brain was found to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of hypernatremic dehydration in neonates with brain imaging showing brain changes which presented with developmental delay on follow-up. Motor score was found to be more severely affected than mental facet using DASII score.