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The Role of Vitamin B12 in Maternal and Infant Health

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rosa-Maria Gueant-Rodriguez

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Guest Editor

Departments of Digestive Diseases, Nutrition and Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine and National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Hospital Center, Université de Lorraine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Interests: nutrition; one carbon metabolism; epigenetics; heart failure; obesity; liver disease

Prof. Dr. Jean-Louis Guéant

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Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Medicine, National Center of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, University Regional Hospital of Nancy, 54511 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France
Interests: one carbon metabolism; metabolism of micronutrients; obesity; NASH; inherited disorders of metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in many biological processes, such as DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, and nervous system function. It is especially important for maternal and infant health, as it affects the development and well-being of both the mother and the baby. Adequate intake of vitamin B12 during pregnancy and lactation can prevent various complications, such as neural tube defects (NTD), preterm birth, low birth weight, and anemia. However, vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem worldwide, especially among populations that consume little or no animal products, such as vegans and vegetarians. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and treat vitamin B12 deficiency in women of reproductive age and to ensure optimal supplementation during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

In this Special Issue, authors are invited to submit original research, reviews, and hypothesis-driven articles that address the topic related to the role of vitamin B12 in maternal and infant health and provide recommendations for the prevention and management of vitamin B12 deficiency. Topics of interest include the following:

Vitamin B12 and NTD;
Vitamin B12 in maternal milk;
Vitamin B12 and neurodevelopment;
Vitamin B12 metabolism and the foetomaternal exchange;
Vitamin B12 and fertility.

Dr. Rosa-Maria Gueant-Rodriguez
Prof. Dr. Jean-Louis Guéant
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

vitamin B12
vitamin B12 deficiency
vitamin B12 metabolism
infant health
maternal health
neural tube defects (NTD)
fertility

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Newborn Screening Allows Comprehensive Identification also of Attenuated Phenotypes for Methylmalonic Acidurias and Homocystinuria

by Elena Schnabel, Stefan Kölker, Florian Gleich, Patrik Feyh, Friederike Hörster, Dorothea Haas, Junmin Fang-Hoffmann, Marina Morath, Gwendolyn Gramer, Wulf Röschinger, Sven F. Garbade, Georg F. Hoffmann, Jürgen G. Okun and Ulrike Mütze

Nutrients 2023, 15(15), 3355; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15153355 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1052

Abstract

Newborn screening (NBS) programs are effective measures of secondary prevention and have been successively extended. We aimed to evaluate NBS for methylmalonic acidurias, propionic acidemia, homocystinuria, remethylation disorders and neonatal vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, and report on the identification of cofactor-responsive disease variants. This evaluation of the previously established combined multiple-tier NBS algorithm is part of the prospective pilot study “NGS2025” from August 2016 to September 2022. In 548,707 newborns, the combined algorithm was applied and led to positive NBS results in 458 of them. Overall, 166 newborns (prevalence 1: 3305) were confirmed (positive predictive value: 0.36); specifically, methylmalonic acidurias (N = 5), propionic acidemia (N = 4), remethylation disorders (N = 4), cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) deficiency (N = 1) and neonatal vitamin B₁₂ deficiency (N = 153). The majority of the identified newborns were asymptomatic at the time of the first NBS report (total: 161/166, inherited metabolic diseases: 9/14, vitamin B₁₂ deficiency: 153/153). Three individuals were cofactor-responsive (methylmalonic acidurias: 2, CBS deficiency: 1), and could be treated by vitamin B₁₂, vitamin B₆ respectively, only. In conclusion, the combined NBS algorithm is technically feasible, allows the identification of attenuated and severe disease courses and can be considered to be evaluated for inclusion in national NBS panels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Vitamin B12 in Maternal and Infant Health)

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Other

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21 pages, 2269 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Biochemical, Nutritional, and Clinical Parameters of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infants: A Systematic Review and Analysis of 292 Cases Published between 1962 and 2022

by Miriam Wirthensohn, Susanne Wehrli, Ulf Wike Ljungblad and Martina Huemer

Nutrients 2023, 15(23), 4960; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234960 - 29 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1774

Abstract

Pooled data from published reports on infants with clinically diagnosed vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency were analyzed with the purpose of describing the presentation, diagnostic approaches, and risk factors for the condition to inform prevention strategies. An electronic (PubMed database) and manual literature search following the PRISMA approach was conducted (preregistration with the Open Science Framework, accessed on 15 February 2023). Data were described and analyzed using correlation analyses, Chi-square tests, ANOVAs, and regression analyses, and 102 publications (292 cases) were analyzed. The mean age at first symptoms (anemia, various neurological symptoms) was four months; the mean time to diagnosis was 2.6 months. Maternal B12 at diagnosis, exclusive breastfeeding, and a maternal diet low in B12 predicted infant B12, methylmalonic acid, and total homocysteine. Infant B12 deficiency is still not easily diagnosed. Methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine are useful diagnostic parameters in addition to B12 levels. Since maternal B12 status predicts infant B12 status, it would probably be advantageous to target women in early pregnancy or even preconceptionally to prevent infant B12 deficiency, rather than to rely on newborn screening that often does not reliably identify high-risk children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Vitamin B12 in Maternal and Infant Health)

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