Folate, vitamin B12 and iron status of exclusively breast‐fed and partially weaned Brazilian infants from low‐income families

In the present study, serum folate, serum vitamin B12, serum ferritin, hemoglobin and hematocrit, of seventy four infants (1–210 days of age) from low‐income families of the city of Rio de Janeiro, were assessed and related to exclusive breastfeeding and partial weaning. All infants had adequate weight for age. Mean values of all hematological measurements were within the normal limits used for comparison, regardless of the type of feeding. However, a substantial proportion of both exclusively breast‐fed and partially weaned infants, with ages varying from 31 to 210 days, presented low levels of serum folate (33% and 67%, respectively) and hemoglobin (33% and 43%, respectively). These proportions were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for partially weaned infants.

Key words:

• Folate
• vitamin B12
• iron
• infants
• breastfeeding
• partial weaning