title: [Vitamin B12 deficiency due to abnormal eating habits].
abstract: Vitamin B12 deficiency is an uncommon disorder in a prosperous western country. In two children a nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency was observed. The first was a 2-year-old girl with neurodevelopmental regression and macrocytic anaemia, a result of a combination of a maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and inadequate feeding after birth. The second patient was a 14-year-old adipose girl with severe polyneuropathy and mild macrocytic anaemia as a result of a nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency. In her case the deficiency resulted from a bizarre feeding pattern. She turned out to be the victim of child abuse. It is concluded that even in a prosperous western country like the Netherlands vitamin B12 deficiency in children can develop as a result of an inadequate feeding pattern. It can lead not only to macrocytic anaemia but also to severe neurological abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis, afd. Hematologie, Utrecht.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Prakken
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veenhuizen
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bruin
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Waelkens
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van Dijken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002649:Child Abuse; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000209:etiology*; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12
vernacular_title: Vitamine B12-deficiëntie bij 2 kinderen door afwijkende voedingsgewoonte.