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Deficiencies of vitamin B12 (B12) and folate (FA) are of particular interest due to their pleiotropic role in 1-carbon metabolism. In addition to adverse birth outcomes, deficiencies of B12 and FA, or an imbalance in FA/B12 status, are linked to metabolic disorders. Indian diets that are predominantly plant food-based could be deficient in these vitamins, but there are no national estimates of the prevalence of B12 and FA deficiency in Indian children and adolescents, nor their associations with age, sex and growth indicators. The recent Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS-2016-18) provided estimates of the prevalence of B12 and FA deficiency at the national and state levels among preschool (1–4 years: 9976 and 11,004 children, respectively), school-age children (5–9 years: 12,156 and 14,125) and adolescents (10–19 years: 11,748 and 13,621). Serum B12 and erythrocyte FA were measured by the direct chemiluminescence method and their deficiency was defined using WHO cut-offs. The prevalence of B12 and FA deficiency was high among adolescents (31.0%, CI: 28.7–33.5 and 35.6%, CI: 33.1–8.2) compared to school-age (17.3%, CI: 15.4–19.3 and 27.6%, CI: 25.5–29.9) and preschool children (13.8%, CI: 11.7–16.2 and 22.8%, CI: 20.5–25.2, respectively). The prevalence of both B12 and FA deficiency was significantly higher by 8% and 5%, respectively, in adolescent boys compared to girls. There was no association between anthropometric undernutrition and B12 and FA deficiency. There was wide regional variation in the prevalence of B12 and FA deficiency, but no rural–urban differences were observed across all age groups. The national prevalence of B12 deficiency among preschool or school-age children was 20%, warranting further investigation.

COVID-19 is a worldwide emergency of public health that leads to lockouts, changes in the dietary pattern and life-style of the population. To assess the impact of COVID-19 mediated lockdown on nutrition, health and lifestyle patterns among teenagers aged ?18 years. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics (age, gender and place of residence), food system dimensions, dietary intake, physical activity, stress and anxiety, body image attitudes, lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, screentime and ease of access to health services. Most of the participants (n=537) were women (53.9%) aged 16 to 24. The lockdown has led to an increase in food prices (81.4%) and a decrease in the rate of physical activity (67.4%). Additionally, there is an increased intake of fruits (68.7%), meat (60%), eggs (75%) and leafy vegetables (49.9%). Around 44.5% of the people reported stress for some days. The majority of the students have increased their weight by 53.8%, weight loss by 10.6% and no change in weight by 30.2%. Approximately half (52.3%) reported challenging access to pharmaceuticals and 66.7% had medical emergency services. An increase in food price, decreased dietary diversification, unhealthy eating patterns, lack of physical activity and perceived weight gain were demonstrated during the COVID-19 induced lockdown period. Further research is needed from various socioeconomic backgrounds to obtain more definitive results which may improve the quality of life of the people.

Background and aim: In India, total vitamin B12 (Vit B12) and its active form (active B12) have not been studied in mother’s blood and cord blood. We hypothesized that total and active B12 levels are sufficiently maintained in cord blood despite low levels in mothers. Methods: Two hundred term pregnant mother's blood and cord blood was collected and analyzed for total Vit B12 (radioimmunoassay method) and active B12 levels (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Mean values of constant or continuous variables (hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), white blood cells (WBC), and Vit B12) were compared in mother's blood and newborn cord blood using Student's t-test and multiple comparisons within the groups were carried out with ANOVA. Spearman's correlation (Vit B12) and multivariable backward regression analyses (height, weight, education, body mass index (BMI) and Hb, PCV, MCV, WBC, and Vit B12 levels) were also performed. Results: Total Vit 12 deficiency was highly prevalent at 89% and active B12 deficiency was 36.7% in mothers. Cord blood showed total Vit B12 deficiency prevalence of 53% and active B12 deficiency being 9.3%. Total Vit B12 ( p