Recent research shows women with low levels of vitamin B-12 have up to five times the risk for major birth defects!

Much like low levels of folic acid have been shown to increase the risk of brain and spine malformation (including spina bifida), researchers are reporting that women having low vitamin B-12 levels approximately 28 days before and after they get pregnant are at significantly greater risk.

Vegans and women who eat little or no meat, fish, eggs, milk or cheese are at the highest risk. Also at high risk are women with stomach or intestinal problems (including inflammatory bowel disease) that keep them from absorbing enough B-12.

“Nobody should get pregnant with low vitamin B-12 level.”
- Dr. James Mills (a senior investigator with the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

The research confirms a previous study at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto two years ago. The study reported said that low vitamin B-12 triples the risk of neural tube defects, and estimates that a third of neural tube defects in Canada are due to B-12 deficiencies.

Overall, the researchers say women who start pregnancy with blood levels of B-12 below 300 ng/L are at “significantly higher risk” for neural-tube defects.

The study appears in the journal Pediatrics.

From Canada.com’s article “Vitamin B-12 deficiency linked to birth defects“

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