Maternal Milk and Serum Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Protein Levels in Indian Subjects

vitamin B12, folic acid, and protein levels in Indian subjects. Serum vitamin B12 and folic acid activity levels were studied in 47 mothers. The mean serum vitamin B12 value in non-vegetarian mothers was 228,uqug./ml. ± 38 9 SE, as compared to mean values 97 /uqug./ml. ± 20-7 SE in lacto-vegetarians. There was no significant difference in folic acid levels, haemoglobin, and total proteins among the different dietetic groups. Analysis of milk revealed mean vitamin B12 values of 103,u,g./ml. in non-vegetarians as compared to 91,u,g./ml. in lacto-vegetarians; the difference was not statistically significant. Mean total protein and folic acid levels for milk were similar in different dietetic groups. The figures obtained for vitamin B12 content of human milk in these mothers are considerably lower than those reported in similar studies from Western countries. In India, the dietary intake of animal protein food in the majority of the population is very low, either because of religious convictions or because of its high cost. The intake of milk or milk products is also low among the general population (Patwardhan, 1961; Antia, 1966). Previous studies have shown that the mean serum vitamin B12 level in apparently healthy lacto-vegetarian Indians is much lower than the mean observed in non-vegetarian subjects (Dhopeshwarkar et al., 1956; Satoskar, Kulkarni, and Rege, 1961; Mehta, Rege, and Satoskar, 1964). During pregnancy the mean serum vitamin B12 usually shows a fall without any associated changes characteristic of B12 deficiency anaemia (Boger et al., 1957; Baker et al., 1958