Comparison of Sublingual and Intramuscular Administration of Vitamin B12 for the Treatment of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children

BACKGROUND: In most countries, contrary to some disadvantages, such as pain, relatively higher cost, and poor adherence to treatment, intramuscular (IM) route is still the primary treatment method for Vitamin B12 (VB12) deficiency. In recent years, because of these difficulties, new treatment methods are being sought for VB12 deficiency. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare sublingual (SL) and IM routes of VB12 administration in children with VB12 deficiency and to compare the efficacy of methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin therapy in these children. METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 129 patients with VB12 deficiency (serum Vitamin 12 level ≤ 200 pg/mL) aged 5-18 years. Based on the formulations of Vitamin 12, we divided the patients into three treatment groups as IM cyanocobalamin, SL cyanocobalamin, and SL methylcobalamin. RESULTS: After Vitamin 12 therapy, serum Vitamin 12 levels increased significantly in all patients, and there was a statistically significant difference between the treatment groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SL cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin were found as effective as IM cyanocobalamin for children with Vitamin 12 deficiency in correcting serum Vitamin 12 level and hematologic abnormalities.