Vitamin B-12 Status Differs among Pregnant, Lactating, and Control Women with Equivalent Nutrient Intakes

Abstract

Pregnancy and lactation alter vitamin B-12 status in a manner consistent with enhanced vitamin B-12 supply to the child. Consumption of the study vitamin B-12 dose (∼3 times the RDA) increased the bioactive form of vitamin B-12, suggesting that women in these reproductive states may benefit from vitamin B-12 intakes exceeding current recommendations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01127022.

A Prospective Study on Serum Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine in Pregnant Women

“…This could be due to the small number of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes we observed, which may not have been great enough to provide statistical significance. However, although previous studies have reported that maternal vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (e.g., neural tube defects, preterm delivery, and intrauterine growth retardation) [1], there have been inconsistent results among studies on MMA and homocysteine levels and maternal and neonatal outcomes [7,9,11,26,27]. Our results concerning homocysteine were comparable with those of a previous study performed in pregnant Korean women which reported no significant association between plasma homocysteine levels and pregnancy outcomes such as preterm delivery, GDM, SGA, placenta abruption or placenta previa, although there was an association between plasma homocysteine levels and preeclampsia [11].…”

“…Vitamin B12, a water-soluble micronutrient which is essential for hematologic and neurologic processes, serves as a cofactor in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine and in the conversion of l -methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA [1]. Vitamin B12 deficiency is an important nutritional problem worldwide as subclinical deficiency affects well-defined risk groups [2].…”

“…Although some researchers have worked to identify the association between maternal MMA and homocysteine levels with pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in different populations [1,8,9,10,11], no reliable data have been collected on a large study population for either MMA or homocysteine levels in pregnant women in East Asian populations including Koreans. Only reports about homocysteine levels in pregnant women in East Asian populations have so far been published [11,12,13].…”

Cross-sectional study of nutritional markers in pregnancy

“…[30] observed that pregnancy and lactation altered Vitamin B12 status in a manner consistent with enhanced Vitamin B12 supply to the child. Consumption of the Vitamin B12 dose to 3 times, the recommended dietary allowance increased the bioactive form of Vitamin B12 suggesting that women in these reproductive states may benefit from Vitamin B12 intakes exceeding current recommendation.…”

“…Consumption of the Vitamin B12 dose to 3 times, the recommended dietary allowance increased the bioactive form of Vitamin B12 suggesting that women in these reproductive states may benefit from Vitamin B12 intakes exceeding current recommendation. [30]…”