Researchers found that women who don't get enough vitamin B12 may have the propensity of giving a disable or deadly birth defect.  The researchers had informed that folic acid fortification in food had helped to lower the occurrence of neural tube defects by about 50% to 70%. In view of the fact that it was not likely that levels of folic acid added would be increased anymore to further help prevent neural tube defect incidence, they set out to examine another modifiable risk factor - vitamin B12. This nutrient was preferred due to the fact that it was metabolically connected to folic acid, and also for the reason that previous research had suggested that mothers who gave birth to babies affected by the condition be inclined to have low levels of it. 

Studies have found that women who consumed little or no meat, fish, eggs, milk or cheese are at the uppermost risk, as are women with stomach or intestinal problems, including inflammatory bowel disease, that force them to take enough B12.  "Nobody should get pregnant with low vitamin B12 levels," said Dr. James Mills, a senior investigator with the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "Women who are on diets that exclude animal products should check with their physician before they get pregnant." Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto stated the fact that two years ago the risk of neural-tube defects marked the low vitamin B12 disease. It's estimated about one-third of neural tube defects in Canada may be due to B12 deficiencies. It's the second time in recent years scientists have notified women about ample vitamin B12. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health in the USA which carried out the study with scientists from Trinity College, Dublin commented:  “Vitamin B12 is essential for the functioning of the nervous system and for the the production of red blood cells. The results of this study suggest that women with with low levels of vitamin B12 not only may risk health problems of their own but also may increase the chance that their children are born with a serious birth defect.”