{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T23:31:27Z","timestamp":1790983887216,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,20]],"date-time":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1666224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The early diagnosis of and intervention in vitamin B12 deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants by mothers with low vitamin B12 is crucial in preventing possible irreversible neurologic damage, megaloblastic anemia, and failure to thrive. We assess the usefulness of the early detection of asymptomatic B12 deficiency related to acquired conditions and highlight the importance of monitoring serum vitamin B12 levels during pregnancy. We describe demographic, clinical, dietary, and biochemical data, including the evolution of a vitamin B12 deficiency\u2019s functional biomarkers. We enrolled 12 newborns (5 males) with an age range of 1\u20132 months old that were exclusively breastfed and asymptomatic. These cases were referred to our metabolic unit due to alterations in expanded newborn screening: high levels of methylmalonic acid and\/or total homocysteine (tHcy). All mothers were under a vegetarian diet except three who had abnormal B12 absorption, and all presented low or borderline serum B12 level and high plasma levels of tHcy. Supplementation with oral vitB12 re-established the metabolic homeostasis of the mothers. In infants, therapy with an intramuscular injection of 1.0 mg hydroxocobalamin led to the rapid normalization of the metabolic pattern, and a healthy outcome was observed. Acquired B12 deficiency should be ruled out before proceeding in a differential diagnosis of cobalamin metabolism deficits, methylmalonic acidemia, and homocystinuria.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu14204397","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,21]],"date-time":"2022-10-21T00:34:30Z","timestamp":1666312470000},"page":"4397","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Acquired Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Newborns: Positive Impact on Newborn Health through Early Detection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9197-7586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Lipari Pinto","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Hereditary Metabolic Disease Reference Center, Metabolic Unit, Pediatric Department, Santa Maria\u2019s Hospital-Lisbon North University Hospital Center, EPE, Pediatric University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-190 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0664-5411","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Florindo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Metabolism and Genetics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-019 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Janeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hereditary Metabolic Disease Reference Center, Metabolic Unit, Pediatric Department, Santa Maria\u2019s Hospital-Lisbon North University Hospital Center, EPE, Pediatric University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-190 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7525-832X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rita Loureiro","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hereditary Metabolic Diseases Reference Center, Dietetic and Nutrition Department, Santa Maria\u2019s Hospital-Lisbon North University Hospital Center, EPE, Pediatric University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-190 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"Mexia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hereditary Metabolic Diseases Reference Center, Dietetic and Nutrition Department, Santa Maria\u2019s Hospital-Lisbon North University Hospital Center, EPE, Pediatric University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-190 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5447-615X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Rocha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Newborn Screening, Metabolism and Genetics Unit, Human Genetics Department, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, 4000-404 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Tavares de Almeida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Metabolism and Genetics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-019 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6186-779X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Vilarinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Newborn Screening, Metabolism and Genetics Unit, Human Genetics Department, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, 4000-404 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3979-9924","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Gaspar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hereditary Metabolic Disease Reference Center, Metabolic Unit, Pediatric Department, Santa Maria\u2019s Hospital-Lisbon North University Hospital Center, EPE, Pediatric University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1600-190 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"17040","article-title":"Vitamin B12 deficiency","volume":"3","author":"Green","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. 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