摘要：Vitamin B
12 deficiency is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. However, data on vitamin B
12 deficiency in pregnant Bangladeshi women are limited. This study examines vitamin B
12 deficiency and marginal deficiency in rural Bangladeshi women during early and late pregnancies. Some 522 women whose gestational age was <20 weeks were recruited. Serum vitamin B
12 concentrations were measured at baseline and after 14 weeks of iron-folate supplementation. Logistic regression analysis examined the association of various socio-demographic, dietary, and pregnancy-related factors with vitamin B
12 deficiency and marginal deficiency. Overall, 19% of the women during early pregnancy had vitamin B
12 deficiency (serum vitamin B
12 concentration < 203 pg/mL) and nearly 40% had marginal deficiency (serum vitamin B
12 concentration 203 to <300 pg/mL). Vitamin B
12 deficiency doubled to 38% during late pregnancy, while marginal deficiency slightly increased to 41.7%. The pregnant women with a gestational age of ≥27 weeks had a higher risk of developing vitamin B
12 deficiency (OR = 2.61; 95% CI = 1.096–6.214) than those of a gestational age of <27 weeks. Vitamin B
12 deficiency was significantly higher in pregnant women in rented accommodation (OR = 13.32; 95% CI = 1.55–114.25) than in those living in their own house. Vitamin B
12 deficiency was significantly higher among women who consumed red or organ meat <3 times a week than in those who consumed it more often (OR = 2.327, 95% CI = 1.194–4.536). None of these factors were significantly associated with marginal vitamin B
12 deficiency. In conclusion, vitamin B
12 deficiency and marginal deficiency among pregnant rural Bangladeshi women increased as their pregnancies progressed. Increasing gestational age, living in a rented house, and the consumption of red or organ meat <3 times a week were identified as the independent risk factors of vitamin B
12 deficiency in this population. Further research with more in-depth assessments of dietary vitamin B
12 intakes is needed to develop an intervention program preventing vitamin B
12 deficiency in this population.
