Reference ranges for "normal" serum (or plasma) vitamin B12 levels in children and teenagers based on a cohort study in Germany (Ridefelt et al. 2024).
- Vitamin B12 levels were "analyzed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (Roche Cobas)".
- The data are basd on "2375 children (2 months to 17.99 years of age)" from Germany.
- "The serum samples were collected between 2011 and 2015".
- In both boys and girls, serum vitamin B12 levels "peaked at five years of age and then declined".
TABLE. Age- and sex-specific pediatric reference interval limits for serum vitamin B12 | |||||||
Age | Sex | Lower | Upper | Lower | Upper | n | Suggested RR |
pmol/L | pg/mL | ||||||
2 months to <1 year | FM | 126 | 724 | 171 | 981 | 272 | Use SSRR |
F | 127 | 802 | 172 | 1087 | 125 | 130–800 | |
M | 121 | 668 | 164 | 905 | 147 | 120–670 | |
1 year to <3 years | FM | 162 | 698 | 220 | 946 | 174 | Use SSRR |
F | 162 | 806 | 220 | 1092 | 79 | 160-810 | |
M | 157 | 691 | 213 | 937 | 96 | 160–690 | |
3 to <6 years | FM | 246 | 883 | 333 | 1197 | 325 | Use SSRR |
F | 264 | 834 | 358 | 1130 | 153 | 260–830 | |
M | 241 | 918 | 327 | 1244 | 172 | 240–920 | |
6 to <12 years | FM | 233 | 785 | 316 | 1064 | 911 | 215–790 |
F | 237 | 780 | 321 | 1057 | 420 | No SSRR | |
M | 229 | 799 | 310 | 1083 | 491 | No SSRR | |
12 to <18 years | FM | 174 | 673 | 236 | 912 | 692 | Use SSRR |
F | 177 | 752 | 240 | 1019 | 370 | 180–750 | |
M | 172 | 611 | 233 | 828 | 322 | 170–610 | |
Abbreviations: CI: 0.90-confidence interval; F: female; FM: female and male in one group; M: male; NA: not applicable; RR: reference ranges; SSRR: sex-specific references ranges Modified from Ridefelt et al. 2024 | |||||||
Note: Two different units are frequently used for serum (or plasma) vitamin B12 levels: pmol/L and pg/mL. The values below are in pmol/L. To convert them to pg/mL, multiply them by 1.3554, i.e., 1000 pmol/L = 1355 pg/mL.
Reference
- Peter Ridefelt, Johan Saldeen, Mandy Vogel, Uta Ceglarek, Wieland Kiess, Anders Larsson: Pediatric reference intervals for serum folate and cobalamin based on a European population without exposure to folic acid fortification. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2024 Mar 21:1-5. doi: 10.1080/00365513.2024.2330918. Online ahead of print. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38511974/
