Can Pregnant Women Take 400 Mcg Of Vitamin B12?

Pregnancy increases the need of vitamin B-12. While many pregnant women can get the appropriate amount of vitamin B-12 through simple changes to their diet or by taking a daily prenatal vitamin, some women may require extra supplementation. Always talk to your doctor if you are unsure of how much vitamin B-12 to take.

Recommended Dietary Allowance

The recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-12 increases from 2.4 mcg a day to 2.6 mcg a day when a woman becomes pregnant. A tolerable upper intake level for this vitamin does not exist, which means it should be safe to take amounts larger than the recommended daily allowance without experience any adverse side effects. However, 400 mcg is considerably more than the recommended amount. Because of this, it would be wise to check with a doctor before taking this amount on consistent basis.

Amounts in Prenatal Vitamins

Most prenatal vitamins contain vitamin B-12, but the specific amount depends on the brand of the vitamin. The ideal amount of vitamin B-12 in a prenatal vitamin is 2.2 to 12 mcg, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Talk to your doctor if you believe you need more vitamin B-12 than the amount found in your prenatal supplement.

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Although any woman can develop a vitamin B-12 deficiency, some women are more prone to this than others. Strict vegetarians and those with a medical condition that interferes with vitamin B-12 absorption have a much higher risk for this condition. A severe vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious consequences during pregnancy, including severe birth defects. It is also possible that a B-12 deficiency may also increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth, although more research needs to be done to confirm this fact. Because of this, it is essential that pregnant women avoid becoming seriously deficient in this vitamin.

Considerations

Women who have an existing vitamin B-12 deficiency often require much larger doses of the vitamin until they have an adequate amount of the vitamin in their body. The amount these women need are typically much larger than the amounts that can be consumed through food or a standard prenatal vitamin. Taking a daily dose of 400 mcg or larger of this vitamin may be appropriate if you have an existing B-12 deficiency, but always talk to your doctor to be sure.

Warning

Many women who are trying to conceive or who are already pregnant are encouraged to take large amounts of folic acid to prevent potential birth defects, such as spina bifida. While it is true that getting adequate amounts of folic acid is important, large amounts may mask the symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency. If you have been taking large doses of folic acid and believe you may have a B-12 deficiency, contact your doctor.