There is a very interesting article in our newspaper "The Mercury"
today about a  breastfed baby who at the age of 7 months was losing
skills, sleeping a lot, not feeding well and refusing to take a
bottle or eat solids. Specialists could not diagnose the condition,
but thought he was intellectually retarded.  She took him to
Melbourne where a haematologist diagnosed B12 deficiency (pernicious
anaemia) which was treated with seven injections over seven days.
Twelve months later he is still 6 mths developmentally delayed, has
a weakened immune system, but is well and making good progress.  He
is on a normal diet with no B12 supplementation.

It is the mother who has a B12 deficiency which is now being
treated.  She is thought to to have inherited it as she is not
vegetarian.  She was asymptomatic except for tiredness, which she
attributed it to being the mother of 4 children.  I am not sure
whether the baby "inherited" her problem, acquired it through a
deficiency in her milk, or both.  He is not on B12 now.

The article states that the deficiency in babies is very rare (1 in
60,000 live births) but may be on the increase because more mothers
are having babies later in life (what's the connection, does the
inherited version worsen with age??)  and more mothers are
vegetarian.  I wonder whether it will increase as more mothers
breastfeed exclusively for 6 months or longer.  It would seem that
this is one of those rare conditions where breastmilk is insuffient,
but certainly not contraindicated.  I have to add that the article
did not question breastfeeding at all and did not say the deficiency
would not have happened if ...... (formula, early solids, etc) - just
that this rare condition should be recognised when it presents.

None of my textbooks  mention this condition, except for vegetarian
mothers and then often in combination with other deficiencies. Has
anyone heard of it in breastfeeding carnivores? Does anyone know
anything about it?  Should I try to contact the mother through the
reporter and write up a little case study for JHL?

Ros Escott
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia