Effect of Maternal Vitamin B12 Status and Supplementation on Child Neurodevelopment and Cognition: A Systematic Review

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#child #child-preschool #female #humans #infant

Effect of Maternal Vitamin B12 Status and Supplementation on Child Neurodevelopment and Cognition: A Systematic Review

Bonifácio et al., 2025 | Curr Nutr Rep | Systematic Review

Citation

Bonifácio Dandara Baia, Pena Francielle Barbosa, ... Della Lucia Ceres Mattos. Effect of Maternal Vitamin B12 Status and Supplementation on Child Neurodevelopment and Cognition: A Systematic Review. Curr Nutr Rep. 2025-Dec-20;14(1):128. doi:10.1007/s13668-025-00720-6

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to systematically evaluate clinical and observational studies that assessed the influence of maternal vitamin B12 supplementation and status on child neurodevelopment and cognition. Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in fetal neurodevelopment. However, to date, no study has focused on gathering conclusions about the effect of supplementation and maternal levels of vitamin B12 on neurodevelopment, focusing on child cognition. Therefore, the databases consulted included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The PRISMA guideline was used to conduct and report the review, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (version 2) (RoB 2) for randomized controlled trials and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of interventions (ROBINS-I). The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42023476614. RECENT FINDINGS: Eleven studies were reviewed, including four randomized controlled trials and seven observational studies. The results demonstrated that maternal vitamin B12 supplementation has an impact on the cognitive and language domains in children up to 42 months of age. Observational studies have also reported an association between maternal vitamin B12 levels and overall neurodevelopment in children under two years of age. This systematic review highlights the importance of assessing maternal vitamin B12 levels during pregnancy, considering potential adverse effects on child neurodevelopment. Given the limited number of included studies, particularly clinical trials, further research is required to clarify the findings of this review.

Key Findings

Eleven studies were reviewed, including four randomized controlled trials and seven observational studies. The results demonstrated that maternal vitamin B12 supplementation has an impact on the cognitive and language domains in children up to 42 months of age. Observational studies have also reported an association between maternal vitamin B12 levels and overall neurodevelopment in children under two years of age. This systematic review highlights the importance of assessing maternal vitamin B1

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition cognitive

MeSH Terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Pregnancy
  • Child Development
  • Cognition
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Observational Studies as Topic
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Vitamin B 12

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-b12

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09