Manifestations of vitamin B1 deficiency in children and how to overcome them

This is an automatically translated article.

Posted by Specialist Doctor I Dang Thi Ngoc Chuong - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

1. What symptoms will children with vitamin B1 deficiency show?

There are many signs surrounding vitamin B1 deficiency in children, including the following common signs.
Anorexia, loss of appetite This is the first sign of vitamin B1 deficiency in children. Nutritionists explain that vitamin B1 has a big impact on the regulation of satiety. When vitamin B1 deficiency occurs, the body will always feel full or full, causing anorexia, picky eating in children.
The body is always lethargic, tired Fatigue can happen from day to day or come on suddenly, depending on the severity of the vitamin B1 deficiency. However, this is a relatively vague sign and is common in many other problems, so many parents rarely think of it as a sign of vitamin B1 deficiency.
Children are irritable, irritable This is a sign of vitamin B1 deficiency, which is very common in children. When the body does not have enough vitamin B1 for growth, it can affect the child's psyche.
Passive, poor reflexes Vitamin B1 deficiency in children can affect motor nerves. If not corrected in time, this deficiency can damage the nervous system and cause poor reflexes in the child's daily life.
In particular, the reflexes in the knee, ankle... will decline quickly and the child may even have problems walking, running and jumping. However, this is a very rare sign of vitamin B1 deficiency in children.
Children with sore hands and feet Children will have stinging, burning and itchy pain in the extremities and this is called paresthesia. Usually, this is a sign of vitamin B1 deficiency in the early stages. Therefore, parents need to pay attention to supplement vitamin B1 for children as soon as possible.
Muscle weakness The cause of muscle weakness is often difficult to determine, including vitamin B1 deficiency. This condition often occurs at certain points. Therefore, if your baby shows signs of inactivity in certain muscle groups, you need to take him to a nutritionist because there is a high possibility that he has a vitamin B1 deficiency.

Vision impairment Not only vitamin A, vitamin B1 deficiency in children can also cause visual impairment, causing blurred vision. This is because without enough vitamin B1, the optic nerve can swell and cause optic nerve problems. This leads to blurred vision, or even loss of vision.
Many children with weak eyesight have been able to improve this condition after a period of adequate vitamin B1 supplementation.
Frequent Nausea and Vomiting Vomiting is a very common sign of vitamin B1 deficiency in infants. In addition, a deficiency of this vitamin can also cause other digestive problems in children.
Irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing Vitamin B1 deficiency can affect the function of the heart, so it can cause shortness of breath, especially when the child is active.
More dangerous, vitamin B1 deficiency can cause heart failure and heart failure to work efficiently in pumping blood, leading to blood accumulation in the lungs, causing prolonged shortness of breath.
In addition, vitamin B1 deficiency in children can also cause a child's heart rate to be slower than normal, increase fatigue, dizziness and even make a child coma.

2. Instructions for supplementing vitamin B1 for children

When children are deficient in vitamin B1, children will experience many dangerous health complications such as neurological disease, numbness, and even meningitis. Therefore, parents need to actively supplement vitamin B1 for their children.
The following guidelines will make it easier for parents to supplement this essential vitamin for their baby:
Vitamin B1 is found in rice, whole grains, oats, wheat... Mom can flexibly choose these foods to prepare baby food. Beans, peas, peanuts, sesame... are also rich sources of this vitamin. Some green vegetables containing a lot of vitamin B1 that need to be taken into account are amaranth, lettuce, spinach, eggplant... These vegetables can be processed into many different soups, ensuring a change in serving size. Taste for children often and stimulate children to eat more. A drink that is extremely close to children and also contains a lot of vitamin B1 is milk. Milk plays an important role in almost every stage of a child's development. Therefore, the baby should drink milk daily, not only can supplement vitamin B1 but also provide children with many other essential nutrients, ensuring the comprehensive development of the baby.

Deficiency of vitamin B1, children often anorexia, making children malabsorption and growth retardation. Vitamin B1 deficiency can cause dangerous complications for children's health and mental health, so parents need to observe and timely supplement this important source of vitamin.
In addition to dietary supplements, parents can give their children support foods containing vitamin B1 and essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, ... to help fully meet their needs. nutritional needs in children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
>> Parents can learn more: Vitamin B1 deficiency: What parents need to know by Specialist Doctor I Le Tuyet Nga - Pediatrician - Vinmec Gardenia Clinic
Please visit Vinmec.com website often. and update useful information to take care of your baby and the whole family.