ANALYSIS OF PREVALENCE OF COBALAMINS AND FOLATE DEFICIENCY AMONGST ADOLESCENTS: AN INSTITUTIONAL BASED STUDY.

Background: Among micronutrients, vitamin B12 (B12) and folate (FA) are critical as they are required in a plethora of metabolic and biological functions. Hence, the present study was conducted for assessing the prevalence of cobalamins and folate deficiency amongst adolescents. Materials & Methods: A total of 500 adolescents were enrolled. Complete demographic and clinical details of all the patients were obtained. A proforma was made, and detailed clinical profile was evaluated. Blood samples were obtained, and serum cobalamin and folate levels were evaluated. Results: A total of 500 adolescents were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 12.3 years. Prevalence of cobalamins and Prevalence of folate deficiency was 31.8 percent and 28.5 percent respectively. Among boys, cobalamins deficiency was seen in 89 patients while folate deficiency was seen in 63 patients. Among girls, cobalamins deficiency was seen in 70 patients while folate deficiency was seen in 79 patients. Non-significant results were obtained while correlating prevalence of cobalamins and folate deficiency among boys and girls. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a high prevalence of folate and cobalamin deficiency among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]