VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY IN PREGNANT WOMEN LINKED TO BIRTH DEFECT

A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics has revealed that women who do not have an adequate intake of vitamin B12 during pregnancy are at greater risk of having a child with a birth abnormality called neural tube defect.

About Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and Birth Defects

The researchers had noted that folic acid fortification in food had helped to lower the prevalence of neural tube defects by about 50% to 70%. As it was not likely that levels of folic acid added would be increased anymore to further help prevent neural tube defect occurrence, they set out to investigate another modifiable risk factor - vitamin B12.

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MOST WOMEN UNAWARE OF KEY NUTRIENT NEEDED FOR BABIES’ DEVELOPMENT DURING PREGNANCY

Most women are aware of only two of the “Big 3” nutrients considered essential during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a Kelton Research survey sponsored by the Society for Women’s Health Research, a Washington, D.C.- based national advocacy organization. The majority of women surveyed know the importance of including folic acid and calcium with vitamin D in their diet, but half of them do not know about the need for DHA Omega-3, a critical nutrient for the development and health of a baby’s brain, heart and eyes.

A growing body of scientific evidence continues to demonstrate that DHA Omega-3 is an important building block of perinatal nutrition. Often overlooked by mothers and health care providers alike, it is possibly the most important nutrient expectant mothers don’t know about.

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