I am 13 weeks pregnant, just got to know that my Vitamin b12 levels on low side 151pg/ml with normal hemoglobin. What should I do? Does it has already affected my baby? I am worried about my baby.

Dr. Potnuru Srinivaasa SudhakarHomeopath30yrs exp

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Older adults with vitamin B12 levels between 200 and 500 pg/mL may also have symptoms. Deficiency should be confirmed by checking the level of a substance in the blood called methylmalonic acid. People with pernicious anemia may lack vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease that affects the blood. Patients with this disorder do not have enough intrinsic factor (IF), a protein substance in the stomach that allows the body to absorb vitamin B12. Pregnancy represents a huge challenge for those who have an undiagnosed B12 deficiency, the growing baby will take all the B12 supplies it needs leaving the mother desperately short. In addition, the use of nitrous oxide during labour can completely inactivate any remaining supply of B12. Pregnant women at greatest risk for deficiency include vegans and vegetarians, those with autoimmune pernicious anaemia or malabsorption syndromes such as Crohn's disease or coeliac disease. Those with a history of gastric bypass for weight loss, strict dieting, anorexia, or bulimia. During pregnancy, women need extra folate. ... Folate deficiency can directly contribute to certain types of birth defects, such as neural tube abnormalities (spina bifida) and low birth weight. Vitamin B12 deficiency. The body needs vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells. Neural tube defects. As with a vitamin B12 deficiency, a lack of folate can also affect an unborn baby's growth and development in the womb (uterus). This increases the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida developing in the unborn baby. If you're pregnant or might become pregnant, it's critically important to get enough folic acid, the synthetic form of vitamin B9, also known as folate. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) ? serious birth defects of the spinal cord (such as spina bifida) and the brain (such as anencephaly). Folic acid is a pregnancy superhero! Taking a prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of your baby's brain and spinal cord. Taking folic acid for at least one month before conception reduces the risk of neural-tube defects, such as spina bifida, by up to 70 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During pregnancy, the recommended dose jumps to 600 to 800 mcg, or 0.6 to 0.8 mg. 

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