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Article: Vitamin B-12 deficiency is very prevalent in lactating Guatemalan women and their infants at three months postpartum
- Article from:
- The Journal of Nutrition
- Article date:
- October 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Institute of Nutrition Oct 1997. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Is Very Prevalent in Lactating Guatemalan Women and Their Infants at Three Months Postpartuml1,2,3
Jennifer E. Casterline, Lindsay H. Allen4, and Marie T. Ruel5
ABSTRACT Vitamin B-12 status was evaluated in 113 Guatemalan women and their infants at 3 mo of lactation. Plasma vitamin B-12 was deficient or low in 46.7% of the mothers, and holotranscobalamin II (holo TC II) concentrations were low in 32.3%, which may indicate vitamin B-12 malabsorption. Only 9% had deficient or low plasma folate. Breast milk vitamin B-12 was low in 31 %, and negatively correlated with infant urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA, r = -0.22, P < 0.05, n = 88); UMMA was elevated in 12.2% ...