Building Brains: B12 During Pregnancy & Childhood IQ

In this episode of Daily Value, we look at the role of maternal Vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy and its impact on a child’s IQ. Drawing on findings from the ELSPAC study (PMID: 39674678), we discuss how Vitamin B12 supports critical neurodevelopmental processes and how deficiency may impact verbal IQ.

Discussion Points:

• The role of Vitamin B12 in one-carbon metabolism, axon myelination, and DNA methylation, and their importance for fetal brain development.
• Findings from the ELSPAC study, where higher maternal Vitamin B12 intake was associated with improved language skills at 18 months and higher verbal IQ at 8 years.
• The importance of addressing elevated homocysteine levels during pregnancy to mitigate neurodevelopmental risks.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39674678/#:~:text=Conclusions%3A We identified consistent associations,particularly in speech and language.