Background and Aim: It is a well-known finding that cardiac diseases in the pediatric population contribute majorly to morbidity and mortality around the globe and is supported by extensive clinical research. A generalized burden of the disease in Pakistan is as high as above 40,000 congenital cardiac defects being reported among newborn babies. It has been documented those congenital cardiac disorders are among the top three causes of neonatal mortality around the world. This study is focused on studying different types of cardiac problems acknowledged among children who are younger than five years and studying the prevalence and burden of disease and assessing the frequency with which they occur in the Pakistani population. Methodology: The conducted study was cross sectional with descriptive approach. The time duration of the study was of ten months which started in February 2021 and concluded in November 2021. The study was carried out at pediatrics department of Ittefaq Hospital and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, after taking ethical approval from the respective departments. The sample size of the study was expected to be around 200 participants. All the recruited participants must meet the age limitations who were under 5 years old. The incidence of heart disease was assumed to be 5%. The recruited participants must show signs and symptoms which suggest the incidence of cardiac problems. Participants with pre-existing heart diseases were eliminated from the study. The participants underwent clinical and lab testing before start of the study Result: The prevalence of 89% (n= 178) of participants was diagnosed with congenital heart disease whereas 11% (n= 22) of participants were detected to have acquired heart diseases. Among diagnosed participants with congenital heart disease, females were found to be 1.2 times more likely to be affected. Among the patients diagnosed with congenital heart diseases, the most common finding was that of ventricular septal defect with a prevalence of 29.5% followed by an atrial septal defect with a prevalence of 26% and in acquired heart disease myocarditis accounted for 91% of the diagnosis. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the prevalence of cardiac condition among children under 5 years is highly prevalent. Among cardiac condition of pediatric patient congenital heart diseases remain highly incidental with ventricular septal defect being the most common congenital condition. Among acquired cardiac condition, myocarditis was the most frequent finding. Keywords: Congenital heart disease, Ventricular septal defect, Children

Background: The deficiency of vitamin b12 is highly extensive within the developed countries and is often found to remain undiagnosed within these populations. the main feature within infants suffering from vitamin b12 deficiency is altered neurological development and generalized growth. Effects of vitamin b12 deficiency on the brain can be prevented. To avoid these morbidities and mortality associated with vitamin b12 deficiency it is pivotal for clinicians to understand what other risk factors are associated with a deficiency within the infant population of developing countries. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 82 healthy infants for the assessment of Vitamin B12 at Pediatric Department of LGH, Lahore from March 2021 to August 2021. Participants were selected who were healthy. After recruitment, participants underwent hematological and biochemical indices analysis. Hemoglobin, serum vitamin b12, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid were different parameters measured. Maternal vitamin b12 deficiency was investigated along with risk factor vitamin b12 deficiency in healthy infants. Results: A total of 82 recruited participants were selected after screening and meeting the recruitment criteria. After assessment of hematological data, anemia was diagnosed in 67.82% of infants (n=56). The breakdown of the anemic population showed that the male population was predominant with 58.2% affected males and 41.8% affected females. Decreased levels of plasma vitamin b12 concentration were documented in 22% of the population with a total number of 18 participants (male: 11, female: 7). Increased levels of homocysteinemia were documented in 49.1% of infants with n=40. Increased levels of methylmalonic acid were appreciated in all infants. As defined by previous criteria, the diagnosis of vitamin b12 deficiency was appreciated in 30 infants with a percentage of 38%. Furthermore, an assessment of folate deficiency showed that 8 out of 82 participants had concurrent folate deficiency in red cells with a percentile prevalence of 9.7%. maternal vitamin b12 deficiency was considered as risk factor for infant vitamin b12 deficiency Conclusion: The prevalence of vitamin b12 deficiency in healthy infants is significantly high in developing and underdeveloped countries. Vitamin b12 deficiency cooccurs with anemia and other variation of biological markers. The study concluded that among the various risk factors that may predispose an infant to vitamin b12 deficiency, maternal b12 deficiency remains the highest appreciated risk factor. Keywords: Vitamin B12, Risk Factors, Vitamin B12 deficiency, Maternal B12