High Serum Folate Concentration, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, and Anthropometric Nutritional Status in Brazilian Children Aged 6–59 Months: Data from the Brazilian National Survey of Child Nutrition

Abstract

BackgroundVitamin B12 and folate are key nutrients that help children reach their full potential in growth and development; however, little is known about the status of these vitamins in Brazilian children. ObjectivesTo describe the serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate, to investigate the association between high folate concentration (HFC) and vitamin B12 deficiency, and to evaluate the association between vitamin B12 and stunting/underweight in Brazilian children aged 6–59 mo. MethodsData from 7417 children aged 6–59 mo collected during the Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition were used. Serum concentrations of vitamin B12 of <150 pmol/L and folate of <10 nmol/L were classified as deficient, and folate concentrations of >45.3 nmol/L were classified as HFC. Children with length/height-for-age z-score of less than −2 were considered stunted, and those with weight-for-age z-score of less than −2 were underweight. Logistic regression models were performed. ResultsIn Brazil, 14.2% (95% CI: 12.2, 16.1) of children aged 6–59 mo had vitamin B12 deficiency, 1.1% (95% CI: 0.5, 1.6) had folate deficiency, and 36.9% (95% CI: 33.4, 40.3) had HFC. Vitamin B12 deficiency was higher in children from the northern region of Brazil (28.5%), between 6 and 24 mo (25.3%), whose mothers had lower formal education (0–7 y; 18.7%). Children with HFC had 62% lower odds (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.54) of vitamin B12 deficiency than those with normal/deficient folate. Children with vitamin B12 deficiency and normal/deficient folate had higher odds of stunting (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.43) than children without vitamin B12 deficiency and normal/deficient folate. ConclusionsVitamin B12 deficiency is a public health problem among Brazilian children aged <2 y with vulnerable socioeconomic status. HFC was inversely associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and lower odds of stunting were observed in children with HFC and vitamin B12 deficiency than in those with vitamin B12 deficiency and normal/deficient folate.