India Nepal study links maternal B12 to infant brain development
A new study from India and Nepal found that pregnant vegetarian women who took more vitamin B12 had babies with better brain development.
Infants whose mothers got higher doses of the vitamin did better on mental tests, pointing to a simple way to help kids get a healthier start in life, especially where B12 deficiency is common.
Higher B12 dose cut deficiency 30%
Researchers gave 531 pregnant vegetarians either 250 or 50 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily, starting early in pregnancy until 6 months after birth.
The higher-dose group saw a 30% drop in deficiency and their babies showed stronger mental growth at 9 to 12 months.
Dr. Jitender Nagpal, who led the study, called adding B12 to prenatal care an easy and affordable step that could make a real difference for families in vegetarian communities.