MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA AND PATTERN OF ITS PRESENTATION IN CHILDREN

Background: Megaloblastic anemia is common in clinical practice in children in Pakistan. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency are the established causes. The aim of this study was to find the frequency of megaloblastic anemia, its clinical presentation and cause in children in our set-up. Material Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted at Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar. Forty-eight children between 6 months to 14 years were studied for the causes of megaloblastic anemia. Results: Among 48 patients there was male to female dominancy (1.64:1), mostly in the age group of 11-14 years. Megaloblastic erthyroid hyperplasia was the most common finding of bone marrow. Folate deficiency was seen in 33.34% of cases and vitamin B12 deficiency in 52.08% cases while 14.58% of cases had both folate and vitamin B12 deficiency. Conclusion: Vitamin B12 deficiency is the major cause of megaloblastic anemia in children in our population. Proper dietary care should be taken in order to avoid it