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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 Jul 23;22(1):587.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-022-04911-9.

Vitamin B12 status and folic acid/vitamin B12 related to the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Jin He  1   2 , Dongmei Jiang  1   2 , Xianwei Cui  3 , Chenbo Ji  4   5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Vitamin B12 status and folic acid/vitamin B12 related to the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Jin He et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: This review was conducted to investigate the association between serum vitamin B12 levels as well as folic acid/vitamin B12 during pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science) was performed. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of GDM risk were summarized using a random effects model. We also performed subgroup analyses to explore the source of heterogeneity.

Results: A total of 10 studies, including 10,595 pregnant women were assessed. Women with vitamin B12 deficiency were at higher risk for developing GDM when compared with those who were vitamin B12 sufficient (OR, 1.46; 95% CI 1.21-1.79; I2: 59.0%). Subgroup analysis indicated that this association might differ based on sample size and geographical distribution. Elevated vitamin B12 levels may decrease the risk of GDM by 23%. The role of excess folic acid and low vitamin B12 levels in the occurrence of GDM is also controversial.

Conclusion: In summary, vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with increased risk of GDM, it is necessary to pay more attention to the balance of vitamin B12 and folic acid. However, more in-depth studies across multiple populations are needed to verify these results.

Keywords: Association; Folate; GDM; Meta-analysis; Vitamin B12.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow chart of the study identification process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plots (random effects model) of meta-analysis of cohort studies on the association between the concentration of vitamin B12 and the risk of GDM. The data in the graph are logarithmically converted
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plots (random effects model) of meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies on the association between the concentration of vitamin B12 and the risk of GDM. The data in the graph are logarithmically converted
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plots (random effects model) of meta-analysis of cohort studies on the association between the between folic acid/vitamin B12 ratio and GDM. The data in the graph are logarithmically converted
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Forest plots (random effects model) of meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies on the association between the between folic acid/vitamin B12 ratio and GDM. The data in the graph are logarithmically converted
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