NEW DELHI, Mar 28—Enhanced Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy, particularly for vegetarian women, can significantly contribute to the early brain development of infants, according to a new study conducted in India and Nepal in collaboration with UK researchers.
The Chenab Times has learned that the study, published in the journal BMJ Paediatrics Open, suggests that improved Vitamin B12 intake in vegetarian mothers can not only benefit infant neurodevelopment but also substantially reduce maternal Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common concern in populations with limited consumption of animal-based foods. Previous research has linked this deficiency to delayed infant neurodevelopment and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, evidence regarding the benefits of maternal Vitamin B12 supplementation for infant neurodevelopment has been mixed, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the deficiency is prevalent.
Dr. Jitender Nagpal, Deputy Medical Director of Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research in Delhi, who led the study in India, highlighted that Vitamin B12 deficiency affects a large proportion of women in South Asia, particularly those following predominantly vegetarian diets.
Despite this prevalence, Vitamin B12 often receives less attention in routine antenatal care compared to iron and folic acid. Current government antenatal guidelines and expert recommendations in India do not routinely include Vitamin B12 supplementation, leaving many women entering pregnancy with unrecognised deficiencies at a critical time for fetal brain development.
The research involved a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial where vegetarian women in their first trimester of pregnancy were assigned to receive either a higher daily dose of Vitamin B12 (250 micrograms) or a lower dose (50 micrograms). This supplementation continued from early pregnancy until six months postpartum.
Among the 531 mother-infant pairs studied, women in the higher dose group demonstrated a marked improvement in their Vitamin B12 status. Biochemical Vitamin B12 deficiency was reduced by over 30 per cent compared to the lower dose group. This maternal health improvement was directly associated with developmental benefits observed in the infants.
According to Dr. Nagpal, babies whose mothers received the higher Vitamin B12 dose scored significantly higher on early mental development assessments at 9-12 months of age. While motor development showed no significant difference between the groups, the gains in cognitive development are considered crucial.
The study authors emphasised that even modest improvements in early cognitive development can lead to substantial population-level benefits, impacting learning potential, educational attainment, and long-term human capital.
These findings suggest that optimising Vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy could be a simple, safe, and cost-effective addition to antenatal nutrition strategies. Such an intervention has the potential to reduce deficiency rates and yield significant long-term gains in learning capacity and human capital at a population level.
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