HEALTH ALERT: Low levels of Vitamin B12 during pregnancy linked to infant crying

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Low

levels of Vitamin B12 during pregnancy linked to infant crying

A new Dutch study

found that women with higher circulating levels of vitamin B12 during the

first three months of pregnancy were eight times more likely to have babies

who cried less.

The study examined 2921 women around their 12th week of pregnancy. The

women were asked to donate a blood sample determining their current levels

of B12 and to complete a questionnaire to determine infant crying three

months after delivery. Strong correlation was found between women with low

levels of B12 and high infant crying (based on length and frequency).

Researchers are pointing to this as a leap in the understanding of the

nutritional origins of infant crying behaviour. It is suggested that babies

born with low levels of vitamin B12 have underdeveloped nervous systems.

One result of this is that the hormone melatonin could fail to be released,

causing babies to cry for much longer. Vitamin B12 deficiency may also

reduce the brain’s production of myelin, a sheath-like substance that

protects nerve cells and helps babies rest.

Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in

a variety of foods such as fish, meat and dairy products. Pregnant women

should consult their physician to see which food sources of B12 are safe to

take during pregnancy as some, such as shellfish and raw eggs, may not be

safe.

References:

1 - Goedhart G. et al. Maternal

vitamin B-12 and folate status during pregnancy and excessive infant crying

Early Human Development. 2011.