Cobalamin and folate status in infants and young children in a low-to-middle income community in India
Open Access
- 1 November 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Elsevier BV in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Vol. 86 (5), 1302-1309
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/86.5.1302
Abstract
Background: Population-based data on the prevalence of cobalamin and folate deficiency in India are lacking. Objective: The objective was to measure the prevalence of cobalamin and folate deficiency among children aged 6–30 mo residing in a low-to-middle income community in North India. Design: Children aged 6–30 mo (n = 2482) were identified through a community survey in a low-to-middle socioeconomic area in New Delhi, India. Non-fasting venous blood samples were collected before enrollment in another trial. Results: The median (interquartile range; IQR) cobalamin concentration in 6–11-mo-old children was substantially lower in breastfed (183; 120–263 pmol/L) than in nonbreastfed (334; 235–463 pmol/L) children. Cobalamin concentrations decreased progressively with increasing age in the nonbreastfed children. Median (IQR) plasma folate concentrations in the 6–11-mo-old group were higher in breastfed (20.3; 11.7–34.4 nmol/L) than in nonbreastfed (5.3; 3.4–7.7 nmol/L) children (P < 0.001). Folate concentrations decreased with increasing age in the breastfed children. In the nonbreastfed children, folate concentrations increased with increasing age. Low concentrations of plasma cobalamin (P < 0.001). The proportions of children with plasma folate concentrations P < 0.001). Conclusions: In north Indian preschool children, cobalamin and folate concentrations were commonly low and were associated with elevated total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations. Because low cobalamin and folate concentrations have functional consequences, population-based measures for improving cobalamin and folate concentrations need to be seriously considered.Keywords
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