Growth Failure in School Children as Associated with Vitamin B 12 Deficiency—Response to Oral Therapy

Abstract

Oral admn. of 10 [mu]g./ day of crystalline vit. B12 to 11 children (6 boys, 5 girls; ages 5-12 years) 5 of whom were selected on account of slow growth progress, the remaining 8 selected at random from a group of 76 under care for varying degrees of malnutrition and in varying states of recovery from simple growth failure,was continued for 8 weeks. Five of the 11 subjects responded dramatically to the single change in routine represented by the admn. of B12, the effects being objectively measured by physique channel and size level gains charted on the Wetzel type Grid record, and calculated from the equations for physique and level of development. The other 6 subjects did not respond. Statistical analysis indicated the response to be significant in the first five subjects. The only noticeable clinical changes were those of increased vigor, alertness, better general behavior, and a marked increase in appetite. Moderate eosinophilia (6-8%) and reticulocytosis (0.6-0.9%) were found in 9 of the 11 subjects. One of the subjects who had been afflicted with severe allergic bronchitis showed a complete loss of symptoms after the first week on the B12 regime.