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Previous research revealed a high prevalence of low serum B12 concentrations in rural Mexican children. This study was designed to assess the prevalence and causes of deficiency, including low B12 intake, gastritis and Helicobacter pylori (HP) in rural Mexican women. Blood was collected from 191 women in rural Queretaro who were not taking B12 supplements and medication for gastritis. Blood samples were analyzed for serum B12 and folate, gastrin, pepsinogen I and HP antibodies. Mean age, weight and height were 36±12 y, 66±15 kg and 1.5±0.6 m. Mean serum vitamin B12 was 210±117 pmol/L, 28% had deficiency (serum B12 <150 pmol/L) and 31% had marginal status (221 pmol/L). Only 1% had low serum folate (<10 nmol/L). Serum B12 was positively correlated with age (r=0.298, P<0.001). Mean gastrin was 52±99 pmol/L and 22% of women had elevated values (>47 pmol/L) indicating gastric inflammation. Moreover, women with B12 deficiency had significantly lower serum gastrin than those with marginal or normal status (P<0.04). Mean serum PGI was 58±33 ug/L and was low (<25 ug/L) in only 9% of subjects indicating that moderated or severe corpus atrophy was uncommon. Most women (70%) tested positive for HP antibodies. HP was associated with lower PGI but not lower serum B12 or elevated gastrin. We conclude that vitamin B12 depletion is very common in these rural Mexican women and associated to gastric inflammation. Funded by UCMEXUS, CONCYTEQ and USDA,WHNRC.

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Introducción: La prevención es la solución definitiva al grave problema epidemiológico nutricional de la niñez en nuestro país y el mundo, que es la obesidad.Objetivo: Describir los resultados de un programa de prevención de la obesidad en lactantes y preescolares, a diez años de su inicio.Sujetos y Método: Estudio retrospectivo, cuasi experimental, de la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad, en niños y niñas asistentes a las salas-cuna y jardines infantiles de la Universidad Católica de Chile, desde la implementación en 2009 de un programa de promoción precoz de hábitos de vida saludable en alimentación y actividad física (HaViSa-UC), hasta 2019. Se obtuvo aprobación ética y se analizaron los registros anuales de las evaluaciones antropométricas (referencia OMS 2006), de cada mes de marzo, en los centros de tres campus universitarios, utilizando el programa Minitab 17. Las acciones implementadas por el HaViSa-UC fueron: evaluación del estado nutricional y comunicación con los padres, entrega de una alimentación saludable, promoción de un hábito activo de vida y  educación para favorecer hábitos saludables de vida. Resultados: El promedio anual fue de 319 asistentes, 14% menores de dos años y 49,5% niñas. En marzo 2009 se detectó 32,6% de sobrepeso y 8,6% de obesidad, cifras que disminuyeron y se estabilizaron, alcanzando en marzo de 2019 a 23,8% y 4,7%  respectivamente. Los eutróficos aumentaron desde 56,9% a 67,4%, sin aumentar el bajo peso. En el mismo período, zP/T bajó desde 0,84 ± 0,94 a 0,55 ± 0,87 (p=0,00), y zT/E aumentó desde -0,36 ± 0,87 a -0,32 ± 0,90 (p>0,05).Conclusión: Desde la implementación del programa HaViSa, en esta muestra de lactantes y preescolares la frecuencia de obesidad bajó en 45,4% y el sobrepeso en 27%, con estabilidad al cabo de diez años.

Serum samples from the Mexican National Nutrition Survey 1999 (ENN‐99) were analyzed for vitamin B12 concentrations to assess the national and regional prevalences of its deficiency. Adequate samples were available from 482 children aged 10 to 59 mo and 462 women aged 12–49 y, living in rural and urban areas. Additional data included weight, height, BMI and food intake. Serum vitamin B12 and folate were measured by RIA. Data were compared by geographical area. Mean weight and height were 25±9 kg and 121±17 cm for children; and 59±16 kg and 150±23 cm for women. Median serum vitamin B12 concentrations were 223 and 241 pmol/L for women and children, respectively. Concentrations indicating deficiency (<150 pmol/L) were 25% for both women and children, and those indicating marginal status (150–221 pmol/L), were 24% for women and 19% for children. No significant differences in the prevalence of deficient or marginal status among geographical areas. Serum B12 concentrations were no associated with age in women (r=0.09 P=0.06) but it was negatively associated with age in children (r=−0.30, P=0.01). In women, neither weight, height nor BMI predicted serum B12, but in children serum B12 was negatively correlated with weight (r=−0.12, P=0.01). In children serum B12 concentration and food intake were strongly related (r=0.17, P=0.0002). Vitamin B12 deficiency was highly prevalent in Mexican women and children. Funded by UCMEXUS.