Background: Vitamin B12 and folate are essential micronutrients which are critical especially during infancy and early childhood as these are periods of rapid growth, development, and increased demand. Malnutrition further increases the risk of these micronutrient deficiency due to poor socioeconomic status, inadequate intake and poor absorption. Aim of present work was to study the cobalamin and folate status in malnourished children.Methods: A hospital based observational study on 80 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) aged 6-60 months. Detailed socio-economic, feeding and development history with complete anthropometric evaluation was done. Blood samples sent for measurement of plasma vitamin B12 and serum folate levels. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0.Results: Mean age of SAM children was 17.25±12.60 months. 30 (37.5%) had vitamin B12 deficiency (vitamin B12 levels<100pg/ml) and 9 (11.25%) had borderline vitamin B12 levels (100-200pg/ml). Folate deficiency was found in only 7 (8.75%) children. Mean vitamin B12 and folate levels were found to be 353.65±330.76pg/ml, 11.18±4.17ng/ml respectively. Among vitamin B12 deficient children, majority (26, 86.66%) belong to lower socio-economic status, 17 (56.66%) were still predominantly on breast feeding and 11 (36.66%) had delayed introduction of complementary feeding. Among B12 deficient children 23 (76.66%) had delayed development (DQ <70). 100% of B12 deficient children were anemic with majority (21,70%) having severe anemia. 17 (56.66%) B12 deficient children also had associated thrombocytopenia (PC <1.5 lakh/cumm).Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency among malnourished children. Folate deficiency was found only in few. Efforts should be directed to prevent its deficiency in pregnant and breastfeeding women and their infants with special attention on malnourished children.

Level II, lesser-quality randomized controlled trial.

Background: β-thalassemia major is a secondary iron load state. The high serum ferritin accounts for abnormal lipid profile. This study was done to investigate the lipid profile in children with β-thalassemia major and to know their correlation with serum ferritin.Methods: Fifty-five (55) children of beta thalassemia major in the age group of 4-20 years from thalassemia unit of tertiary care hospital who were on regular blood transfusion and oral iron chelators were enrolled. Serum ferritin levels and lipid profile of these children were investigated and their correlation was assessed. Results: Out of total 55 children 31 (56.4%) children were of female sex and 48(87.3%) were Hindu by religion. The mean rate of blood transfusion was 157.02±21.33 ml/kg/year with average dose and duration of iron chelation with Desferroxamine was 34.4±26.86 mg/kg /day and 2.34±1.86 years respectively. Mean cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were on lower side of the range with values of 124.47±19.81 mg/dl, 36.58±12.22 mg/dl, 63.94±4.57 mg/dl respectively. The mean triglyceride level (TG) was on higher side with an average of 142.93±33.7 mg/dl. The average serum ferritin levels were 2130.33±859.85 ng/ml. There was negative correlation of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL with serum ferritin with coefficient of correlation (r= -0.77, -0.55, -0.72) respectively. The serum triglyceride had positive correlation with serum ferritin with coefficient of correlation(r=+0.85).Conclusions: As the serum ferritin increases, there occurs more derangement of lipid profile in form of decreasing serum cholesterol, HDL, LDL and increasing serum TG levels.

No abstract

Respiratory morbidity with respect to lung function tests is observed more in groups working in heavy traffic than the control group.