Vitamin B12 and Folate Status in Pregnant Females and Their Infants in Norway: Secondary Analysis from the Mommy's Food Study

Vitamin B12 and folate are essential micronutrients important for normal infant growth and development. The aims were to describe vitamin B12 and folate status in pregnant females and their infants according to commonly used status cutoffs and examine the associations between maternal status, maternal supplement use, and breastfeeding and infant status. Pregnant females were recruited at 18 wk gestation in Bergen, Norway. Maternal vitamin B12 and folate status were measured at gestational weeks 18 (n = 136) and 36 (n = 116), and infant status was measured at ages 3 (n = 73) and 6 (n = 74) mo. At gestational weeks 18 and 36, respectively, 4.4% and 2.6% of the mothers had plasma cobalamin concentrations 0.26 μmol/L, and 3.7% and 30% had folate concentrations 13 μmol/L or 3 combined indicator of vitamin B12 (cB12) < -0.5. At 3 and 6 mo, respectively, 4.1% and 5.4% of the infants had cobalamin concentrations 6.5 μmol/L, 59% and 66% had MMA concentrations >0.26 μmol/L, and 47% and 60% had cB12 > -0.5. None of the infants had folate concentrations