Authors: V. Smolka; V. Bekárek; E. Hlídková; J. Bučil; D. Mayerová; Z. Škopková; T. Adam; E. Hrubá; V. Kožich; L. Buriánková; J. Šaligová; M. Buncová; J. Zeman Authors‘ workplace: Dětská klinika LF UP a FN, Olomouc Laboratoř dědičných metabolických poruch OKBL LF UPa FN, Olomouc Radiologická klinika LF UP a FN, Olomouc Ústav dědičných poruch metabolizmu 1. LF UK, Praha Oddělení klinické biochemie Dětské nemocnice LF a FN, Košice Ra Published in: Čas. Lék. čes. 2001; : 732-735 Category:
Background. Serious hematological, metabolic and neurological complications owing to the nutritional deficiencyof vitamin B 12 may occur in infants of mothers on a strict vegetarian diet.Methods and Results. The mother of the first child was a strict vegetarian. She had an elevated urinarymethylmalonic acid level and a low concentration of serum vitamin B 12 . Her 13-month-old daughter was exclusivelybreast-fed until the age of 9 month and then she was fed only vegetables. Physical examination revealed psychomotoricretardation, apathy, muscular hypotonia, abnormal movements and failure to thrive. Laboratory analysis showeda megaloblastic anaemia, a low level of vitamin B 12 and methylmalonic aciduria. MRI of the brain revealed diffusefrontotemporoparietal atrophy and retardation of meylination. After treatment with vitamin B 12 supplements,abnormal movements disappeared and development improved, but a mild generalised hypotonia continued. A cranialMRI 9 months after treatment still showed signs of retardation of myelination. The second patient, an 8 month-oldmale, son of a strict vegetarian mother too, was referred for investigation of psychomotoric retardation, hypotonia,dyskinesia, failure to thrive and microcephaly. He was breast-fed and from 6 month of age he had also received fruitjuices. Laboratory analysis revealed megaloblastic anaemia, high methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria. Thepatient’s and his mother’s serum level of vitamin B 12 were low. After treatment with vitamin B 12 supplements,biochemical and metabolic markers of disease were normal but there continued a generalised hypotonia, microcep-haly and language delay.Conclusion. Our observations emphasize the health complications of nutritional cobalamine deficiency anda requirement of clinical, biochemical and metabolic monitoring in infants within strict vegetarian families.
Key words: vegetarian diet, vitamin B 12 , methylmalonic aciduria, homocystinuria, microcephaly, psychomotoricretardation.
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