American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 52, 1073-1076, Copyright © 1990 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Vitamin B-12: low milk concentrations are related to low serum concentrations in vegetarian women and to methylmalonic aciduria in their infants

BL Specker, A Black, L Allen and F Morrow
Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, OH 45267-0541.

In a group of 13 strict vegetarian and 6 omnivorous lactating women, relationships were studied among maternal milk and serum vitamin B-12, and milk vitamin B-12 and infant urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA) excretion. Milk vitamin B-12 concentrations were lower in women consuming a strict vegetarian diet compared with an omnivorous diet. Milk vitamin B-12 was inversely related to length of time on a vegetarian diet and positively correlated with maternal serum vitamin B- 12 concentrations. Infant urinary MMA excretion was inversely related to milk vitamin B-12 concentrations less than 362 pmol/L. The 1989 recommended dietary allowance for vitamin B-12 of 221 pmol/d for infants is close to the intake below which infant urinary MMA excretion is increased. We conclude that the current RDA for infants provides little margin of safety.

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