If the mother was deficient in vitamin B12 during pregnancy, the child is at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders, including the destruction of the nervous system.
Relevance of the problem
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is produced by our body. It is also available as a dietary supplement and is added to some foods, such as breakfast cereals.
Vitamin B12 affects the body’s functions, including blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and neurological functioning. The recommended daily dose of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms, for expectant mothers-up to 2.6 micrograms, and 2.8 micrograms during breastfeeding.
Previous studies have shown that women with low levels of vitamin B12 during pregnancy, children have low birth weight and high cholesterol. In addition, these children have greater insulin resistance in childhood, which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods of research
More than 90 blood samples taken from mothers and their babies at birth were analyzed to determine vitamin B12 levels. In addition, they analyzed more than 40 samples of adipose tissue and about 80 samples of placental tissue.
Results
Children born to mothers with vitamin B12 deficiency (defined as less than 150 picomoles per liter) have high levels of leptin, which can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
Vitamin B12 deficiency in pregnant women can affect gene programming by altering the production of the hormone leptin during prenatal development.
It is currently difficult to determine the exact mechanisms by which vitamin B12 deficiency increases leptin levels in children, but they have several theories.
“Either low B12 leads to fat accumulation in the fetus, and to an increase in leptin, or low B12 actually causes chemical changes in the placental genes that produce leptin, which increases the amount of the hormone.”
If their findings are confirmed, the current recommendations for the use of vitamin B12 during pregnancy may be revised.