Vitamin B12 status in pregnant women and their children in India (135.6)

Objective: To examine the prevalence and determinants of poor infant vitamin B12 status at birth, and determine the associations between maternal and infant vitamin B12 status. Methods: 366 pregnant women participating in a vitamin B12 supplementation trial in India were monitored to assess maternal vitamin B12 status in pregnancy and its association with infant vitamin B12 status at 6 weeks of age. Binomial and linear regression were used to evaluate the associations between maternal and infant vitamin B12 status. Results: 51% of mothers were vitamin B12 deficient (<150pmol/L) at baseline, and 47% of infants were vitamin B12 deficient at 6 weeks of age. Maternal vitamin B12 concentrations during 3 trimesters (T) were significantly correlated with infant vitamin B12 status (T1: r=0.19, p=0.10; T2: r=0.39, p<0.01; T3: r=0.56, p<0.0001); with stronger correlations in B12‐supplemented women (T1: r=0.42, p<0.01; T2: r=0.55, p<0.001; T3: r=0.55, p=0.001). After adjusting for vitamin B12 supplementation, higher maternal B12 concentrations at baseline predicted increased infant vitamin B12 levels (p=0.06), and infants born to vitamin B12‐deficient mothers were 1.6 times more likely to be vitamin B12 deficient (p=0.05). Conclusions: Inadequate maternal vitamin B12 status during pregnancy predicted increased risk of infant vitamin B12 deficiency. Grant Funding Source : Supported by: NICHD, ICMR