Maternal vitamin B12 status during pregnancy and language development in the first year of life: a single-centre descriptive cross-sectional study
A single-centre descriptive cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66288/actamedi.2026.142Keywords:
vitamin b12, pregnancy, child development, language development, infantAbstract
Aim: To evaluate the association between maternal serum vitamin B12 concentrations during pregnancy and Denver II developmental outcomes during the first year of life, with particular emphasis on language development.
Methodology: This single-centre descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective archive review included mother-child pairs evaluated between September 2024 and April 2026. All potentially eligible pairs recorded within this predefined study period were screened. Of 110 pairs in the source dataset, 13 children born before 37 completed gestational weeks and one child older than 12 months were excluded according to the eligibility criteria, leaving 96 pairs for analysis. Maternal vitamin B12 concentrations measured during pregnancy were retrieved from electronic health records. Children underwent serum vitamin B12 measurement and Denver II developmental assessment. Associations between maternal vitamin B12 categories and developmental domains were evaluated using Pearson's chi-square or Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact tests. Binary logistic regression assessed factors associated with an abnormal language-domain result.
Results: Abnormal language-domain results were observed in 34/46 (73.9%) children in the maternal vitamin B12 ≤200 pg/mL group, 6/20 (30.0%) in the 201-400 pg/mL group, and 2/30 (6.7%) in the >400 pg/mL group (p<0.001; Cramer's V=0.606). Median maternal vitamin B12 was lower in children with abnormal than normal language results (152.5 [interquartile range 124.0-190.0] vs 430.0 [217.0-458.8] pg/mL; p<0.001). After adjustment for child vitamin B12, age, sex, gestational age, and birth weight, each 100 pg/mL increase in maternal vitamin B12 was associated with lower odds of an abnormal language result (adjusted odds ratio 0.280, 95% confidence interval 0.163-0.480; p<0.001).
Conclusion: Lower maternal vitamin B12 concentrations during pregnancy were strongly associated with an abnormal language-domain result during the first year of life. Prospective studies are needed to determine causality and whether optimisation of maternal vitamin B12 status improves child neurodevelopment.
Keywords: Vitamin B 12; Pregnancy; Child Development; Language Development; Nutritional Status
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Copyright (c) 2026 Deniz Yıldız, Batuhan Demir, Büşra Dülge, Dicle Demir, Emirhan Gümüşok, Esma Şanlı, İsmail Hakkı Öztürk, Mert Güneş, Münevver Şeyma Güçlü, Mustafa Kaan Azizoğlu, Tassnem Tatan, Zehra Turan
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