Mother's vitamin [B.sub.12] status is key determinant of infant's vitamin [B.sub.12] status. (Scientific update: a review of recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism).

VRG has long stressed the importance of adequate vitamin [B.sub.12] intake during pregnancy. A recent study from Norway provides strong support for this position. According to a study of 186 non-vegetarian women and their infants at four days after birth and six weeks later, 8% of infants and 15% of mothers had abnormally low cobalamin (vitamin [B.sub.12]) levels. There was a strong association between the level of vitamin [B.sub.12] in the mother's blood and her infant's blood-vitamin [B.sub.12] level. In other words, if the mother had low blood-vitamin [B.sub.12] levels, the infant was likely to also have low blood-vitamin [B.sub.12] levels. Infants who had low vitamin [B.sub.12] levels at four days after birth also were likely to have low levels six weeks later.

Since vitamin [B.sub.12] is important for development of the brain and other parts of the nervous system, it is important for all infants to have good vitamin [B.sub.12] levels. This is not likely to happen unless the mother has adequate dietary vitamin [B.sub.12] throughout pregnancy.

Monsen A-L B, Ueland PM, Vollset E, et al. 2001. Determinants of cobalamin status in newborns. Pediatrics 108:624-630.