Riboflavin deficiency in infants and children with heart disease.

Thirty-one infants and children with cardiac disease were randomly selected to determine whether riboflavin deficiency is more prevalent among those with cardiac disease than among a group of comparable socioeconomic status without cardiac disease. Riboflavin studies were initiated since it is a representative member of the B complex and a specific and sensitive biochemical method is available to detect deficiency of this vitamin. The method involves the determination of the degree of saturation of erythrocyte glutathione reductase. Twenty-seven of the subjects had congenital heart disease and four had rheumatic heart disease. Eleven of the 31 had evidence of riboflavin deficiency, a significantly higher prevalence than among the group without cardiac disease. The deficiency existed among those with congenital and acquired cardiac disease. There was a greater tendency for the vitamin deficiency to occur among those with congestive heart failure. These studies indicate that nutritional deficiencies may be more prevalent among infants and children with cardiac disease than was previously thought.