What did the researchers do and find?
deficiency/depletion
LATE PREGNANCY, SECONDARY, VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY
As prespecified secondary outcomes of a randomized trial, this study characterized longitudinal patterns of maternal vitamin status from preconception, through early and late pregnancy, to 6 months postdelivery, and determined the influence of supplementation.Significant proportions of preconception women living in high-income countries had marginal or low status of folate, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, and many developed markers of vitamin B6 deficiency in late pregnancy.In the absence of intervention supplementation, maternal plasma concentrations of different vitamins showed differing longitudinal patterns from preconception to early and late pregnancy, and markers of functional B6 and B12 insufficiency increased during pregnancy.Our trial indicates that preconception and pregnancy supplementation in amounts available in over-the-counter supplements substantially reduced the prevalence of deficiency/depletion markers before and during pregnancy, with a higher maternal plasma vitamin B12 maintained during the recommended lactational period.