Brief report: childhood disintegrative disorder as a likely manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Low B12 can look like childhood disintegrative disorder, and shots can reverse it.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doctors wrote up one boy who lost words, play, and toilet skills at age four.
Blood work showed low vitamin B12. No other cause was found.
What they found
B12 shots brought back language and play skills in a few weeks.
The boy kept improving while the shots continued.
How this fits with other research
Moretti et al. (2008) saw the same pattern with folate. Both papers say: check vitamins first.
Ferreri et al. (2011) described eight kids with CDD but did not test B12. Savita adds a treatable cause to that picture.
Page (2000) urged metabolic work-ups in autism. This case is the proof that one shot can change a life.
Why it matters
Any sudden loss of skills should trigger a lab order, not just more therapy. One quick blood draw can turn a tragic regression into a treatable condition. Ask the pediatrician for B12, folate, and a full metabolic panel before you intensify ABA hours.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Childhood disintegrative disorder is a rare disorder, characterized by regression of acquired skills after a period of normal development. The case of childhood disintegrative disorder presented here was found to have vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia on extensive evaluation to find a probable cause for regression. This case illustrates the need for a thorough evaluation of all cases of childhood disintegrative disorder so that treatable causes of regression, like vitamin B12 deficiency, are not missed.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-013-1762-6