Iron, folate and vitamin B12 in severe protein-energy malnutrition
Nkrumah, F.K.; Nathoo, K.J.; Sanders, D.M.
Central African Journal of Medicine 34(3): 39-43
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-9176 PMID: 3149208 Document Number: 306321
Serum iron, folate and vitamin B-12 were estimated in 48 children 9 months to 4 years 2 months old with severe protein-energy malnutrition. Of children studied 34 had haemoglobin less than 11 g/100 ml and mean Hb for the whole group was 9.8 g/100 ml. Mean serum ferritin was 113.8 in 24 children with kwashiorkor, 151.7 in 12 children with marasmic kwashiorkor and 79.4 ng/ml in 12 children with marasmus. Mean serum folate of the total group was 7.3 ng/ml; only 3 had concentrations less than 3 ng/ml. Mean vitamin B-12 was 437.1 pg/ml. There was no significant change in mean red cell folate or serum vitamin B-12 after nutritional rehabilitation.