Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Data on Vitamin B12 deficiency and its relationship with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) andpregnancy outcomes are limited. The aim of the present study is to determine, in pregnant women with GDM, the association between Vitamin B12 levels and glycemic control, as well as with pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We studied 44 women with GDM, mean age 31.9 ± 5.8 years old, at the second trimester and at labor and measured weight, height, body mass index (BMI), HbA1c, Vitamin B12 (B12) and folic acid (FA) levels, as well asthe gestational age at delivery (GAd), childbirth type and offspring birthweight (of BW).

Results: Baseline mean gestational age was 26.3 ± 7.3 weeks, mean mother weigh, BMI and HbA1c were 80.17 ± 17.07 kg, 29.89 ± 6.11 kg/m² and 5.1 ± 0.3% respectively. Mean B12 and FAlevels were 241.80 ± 122.04 pg/ml and 13.67 ± 6.58 ng/ml respectively. 28 out of 44 women had normal B12 (63.63%, NB12), 16 out of 44 had B12 deficiency (LB12) (36.36%, B12 < 150 pg/ml) and 13 of the LB12 had adequate FA levels. There was no relationship between B12 levels and HbA1c (r = −0.025, P = 0.874), and B12 levels and BMI (r = −0.128, P = 0.419). NB12 women gave birth to 15 females and 13 males, 16 (57.14%) by caesarean section, mean GAd was 38.18 ± 0.94 weeks and mean of BW was 3220 ± 380 gr. LB12 women gave birth to 11 females and six males (one twin pregnancy), 7 (43.75%) by caesarean section, mean GAd was 37.93 ± 2.43 weeks and mean of BW was 3059.38 ± 658.35 gr. In both LB12 and NB12 there was no relationship between B12 and GAd (r = 0.185, P = 0.493 and r = −0.141, P = 0.473 respectively), between B12 and of BW (r = 0.232, P = 0.387 and r = −0.112, P = 0.569 respectively) and B12 and child birth type.

Conclusion: A significant percentage of pregnant women with GDM had B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency, does not seem to have any associationwith either the glycemic control and the body mass index of the pregnant women, or with gestational outcomes. More studies with a larger number of participants are needed to confirm these findings.