title: [Thiamine deficiency in infants: a case report].
abstract: Thiamine deficiency is recognized in varied parts of the world. In Asia, it remains an important public health problem where highly polished rice is the major staple food and where other primary dietary sources of thiamine are in short supply. Beriberi, or clinically apparent thiamine deficiency, may present a variety of syndromes including myocardial dysfunction or wet beriberi, dry beriberi with neurological symptoms, and the more severe form Shoshin beriberi with cardiac failure and lactic acidosis. Infantile thiamine deficiency is a very rare condition in developed countries today. It occurs mainly in breastfed infants of mothers who have inadequate intake of thiamine. Clinical symptoms in such infants include gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac failure, and lactic acidosis. We report the case of a 10-week-old girl, admitted with diarrhea, vomiting, acidosis, and cardiac failure. After excluding other etiologies of cardiomyopathy, biochemical thiamine deficiency confirmed the diagnosis of beriberi in an infant of a thiamine-deficient mother from Reunion Island, a French island where recently, with Mayotte Island, epidemic cases of beriberi have been described. This case is important to highlight the manifestations in young infants and to alert physicians to the possibility of thiamine deficiency in developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie-néonatologie, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100, rue Léon-Cladel, 82013 Montauban cedex, France. Electronic address: p.moulin@ch-montauban.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biochimie de la nutrition, centre hospitalier universitaire de Rangueil, avenue Jean-Poulhès, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cinq-Frais
authors.affiliation: Service des urgences, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100, rue Léon-Cladel, 82013 Montauban cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gangloff
authors.affiliation: Service de cardiologie pédiatrique, hôpital des enfants, centre hospitalier universitaire de Purpan, 330, avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31053 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyre
authors.affiliation: Service de cardiologie pédiatrique, hôpital des enfants, centre hospitalier universitaire de Purpan, 330, avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31053 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: P-E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Seguela
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie-néonatologie, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100, rue Léon-Cladel, 82013 Montauban cedex, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.affiliation: Service de pédiatrie-néonatologie, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100, rue Léon-Cladel, 82013 Montauban cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cascarigny
authors.affiliation: Service des urgences, centre hospitalier de Montauban, 100, rue Léon-Cladel, 82013 Montauban cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alcouffe
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biochimie de la nutrition, centre hospitalier universitaire de Rangueil, avenue Jean-Poulhès, 31059 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Periquet
authors.affiliation: Service de cardiologie pédiatrique, hôpital des enfants, centre hospitalier universitaire de Purpan, 330, avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31053 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dulac
authors.affiliation: Service de cardiologie pédiatrique, hôpital des enfants, centre hospitalier universitaire de Purpan, 330, avenue de Grande-Bretagne, 31053 Toulouse cedex, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Acar
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001942:Breast Feeding; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000150:complications; D017507:Comoros; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013831:Thiamine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D013831:Thiamine