Low Vitamin B12 level as a risk factor for very early recurrent abortion

Objective: To examine the relationship between Vitamin B 12 deficiency and early recurrent abortion (ERA) or very early recurrent abortion (VERA) abortion around 5 weeks of amenorrhea. Study design: Serum B-12, folate and homocysteine levels were carried out in 110 consecutive women with unexplained ERA or VERA and in 96 women with one or more children and no abortion history. Results: Ten women were found to have low serum B-12 levels versus one in the control group. A total of 50% of these had raised homocysteine. No difference was noticed between cases and controls for folate. Among women with low serum B-12 level and ERA, 87.5% of the abortions were VERA. Vitamin B-12 supplementation led to four normal pregnancies in five women who became pregnant again. In a statistical analysis performed on five studies in which serum B-12 was assayed in ERA, including ours, a significant relationship was found between ERA and Vitamin B-12 deficiency. Conclusion: Vitamin B-12 deficiency may be involved in ERA. Vitamin B-12 assay should be done in ERA women whether or not hematological abnormalities are present. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.