VITAMIN-B-12 STATUS OF EAST-INDIAN VEGETARIAN LACTATING WOMEN LIVING IN THE UNITED-STATES

The purpose of this study was to determine the vitamin B-12 status of vegetarian, lactating women who had immigrated to the US from India. W omen exclusively breastfeeding their 4-20 week old infants were studie d [8 lactovegetarians (VEG group), 11 omnivorous women (CONTROL group) ]. Fasting maternal blood and breast milk samples were collected and a nalyzed for B-12 concentrations; a random urine sample was collected f rom infants to determine methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentration. All s ubjects, except three VEG, reported taking vitamin supplements contain ing 2 to 25 mu g of vitamin B-12 regularly during pregnancy and lactat ion. Vitamin B-12 intake from dietary sources and total intake (dietar y plus supplement) was significantly lower in the VEG group compared t o CONTROL subjects (1.35 +/- 0.27 vs 2.61 +/- 0.23, p<0.01 and 4.60 +/ - 1.43 vs 11.70 +/- 2.47 mu g/d, p 0.04; respectively). Serum and milk vitamin B-12 concentrations in VEG women were significantly lower tha n the CONTROL group (264 +/- 52 vs 531 +/- 78 pmol/L, p = 0.02 and 277 +/- 39 vs 544 +/- 104 pmol/L, p = 0.05; respectively). After controll ing for diet, the mean milk vitamin B-12 concentration of mothers at 1 6-20 wks postpartum was significantly lower than mothers 4-8 wks postp artum (p = 0.04). Assuming that infants consumed 750 ml of milk/d, 75% of infants of VEG mothers and 27% of infants of CONTROL mothers were not consuming the RDA for vitamin B-12. All MMA concentrations were wi thin normal limits except for one infant whose mother consumed a VEG d iet. These results suggest the importance of supplementation with vita min B-12 during lactation among lactovegetarian women. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Inc.