Vitamin B12: What is it and why is it important during pregnancy?
The vitamin B12 It's a water-soluble vitamin, part of the B vitamin group, which also includes folic acid, which you're probably familiar with, but it's not the only important one. If the mother has a deficiency in other vitamins, the baby's proper development is also at risk.
During pregnancy, the baby needs a good amount of vitamin B12 to develop its muscles and nervous system. In addition, during gestation, it facilitates the absorption of folic acid, also exerting a protective effect in preventing neural tube defects.
What can happen if I have a deficiency of this vitamin?
Its deficiency is associated with:
- Megaloblastic anemia, Generally, there's nothing to worry about, as your body prioritizes the baby's needs over your own, so the fetus doesn't suffer. However, you should be vigilant, because if the anemia reaches certain levels, there may be a risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
- A higher risk of spina bifida and early miscarriages.
- Metabolic problems such as type 2 diabetes. Babies are usually born with low weight and high cholesterol levels.
- Neural tube defects, Vitamin B12 also plays an important role in DNA synthesis. A recent study even reported that women with low levels of vitamin B12 had three times the risk of giving birth to babies with neural tube defects.
What foods provide vitamin B12?
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, B12 requirements increase from 2.4 to 2.6 micrograms/day.
Our bodies are unable to produce it on their own. We need to obtain it through food. But this vitamin has a peculiarity, It is only present in products of animal origin. The foods that provide it are: red meat or chicken, liver, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy products....
The problem arises if you reduce your consumption of meat or dairy products, for example, when following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Because There are no plant-based foods that can be considered reliable sources of B12. You should choose to ensure your intake starting from fortified foods (fortified breakfast cereals, fortified soy shakes, fortified tofu, some vegetable “meats”, fortified brewer’s yeast, etc.).
However, you should be very careful, as the amount of vitamin B12 in fortified plant-based foods is often insufficient to meet your needs. Even the American Dietetic Association... It recommends vitamin B12 supplementation for vegans and vegetarians during pregnancy and breastfeeding.. Therefore, we recommend that if you are taking supplements, you continue with your usual regimen; otherwise, it is very important that you check your levels with a blood test to prevent possible risks.
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Fortunately, a deficiency of this vitamin during pregnancy is not usually common, since Most prenatal vitamins usually contain vitamin B12. The greatest risk of deficiency would be in vegetarian women because the main source of this vitamin is found in foods of animal origin.
