[Folic acid and vitamin B12 status in healthy preschool children in Tehran, Iran, 2010]

ABSTRACT

A deficiency of folate or vitamin B12, particularly in tissues with a high cell replication rate, could inhibit RNA and DNA synthesis, DNA methylation, as well as cell maturation. Therefore, a sufficient intake of these vitamins in childhood is of vital importance. Since there are no published reports on the status of folic acid and vitamin B12 in Iranian children, the present study was conducted to assess serum and red blood cells concentrations and some related factors in healthy 3-6 year old children in Tehran, Iran, 2010. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, in which 228 children, 3-6 year old [105 girls and 123 boys], were selected by random systematic cluster sampling from 20 [out of 270] day-care centers in Tehran. A 2-ml non-fasting blood sample was drawn from each child and analyzed for serum and red blood cell folate and vitaminB12 by the RIA method. SPSS.16 was used for data analysis, the statistical tests being t-test, Chi-square and ANOVA. There were no significant differences between the 2 sexes with regard to age, weight, height, BMI, RBC folate, or serum folate and vitamin B12 levels. Based on the serum folate level, 9.6% and 37.8% of the children suffered from severe and mild deficiency, respectively; 52.6% had normal folate serum levels. The data also showed that 97.4% of the children had a normal serum vitamin B12 level, only 2.6% being mildly deficient. As judged by the RBC folate level, of 105 children [60 boys and 45 girls], 1% and 37% had severe and mild deficiency, respectively, an absolute majority [62%] having normal levels. The distributions of serum folate, serum vitaminB12, and RBC folate levels were not statistically different between boys and girls. Similarly, no associations were observed between the RBC folate level, serum folate level, or serum vitamin B12 level and age, weight, height, family size, birth order, or head of the family. There were positive significant correlations between serum folate on the one hand and RBC folate [r=0.4, p<0.001] and serum vitamin B12 [r=0.8, p<0.001] on the other hand. Furthermore, folate, RBC folate, and serum vitamin B12 were all positively related to father's education [p=0.01], mother's education [p=0.008] and father's job status [p<0.027]. In addition, the vitamin levels were higher in children of the working mothers, as compared to those of non-working mothers [p<0.036]. There were no differences between the 2 groups with regard to other variables. Folate deficiency is highly prevalent, while the deficiency of vitamin B12 is low, among Tehrani preschoolers. It is recommended to design and implement suitable intervention programs. Major components of such programs should be mothers' nutrition education and improving family food consumption patterns with particular emphasis on optimum utilization of folate sources, particularly vegetables