Vitamin C For Baby’s Brain

More than one in 10 of us are deficient in vitamin C. That deficiency can weaken your bones, harm your digestive tract, raise your blood pressure, make you more prone to asthma and cause a host of other health problems. But a lack of this nutrient is particularly dangerous for a fetus growing in the womb.

Research at the University of Copenhagen shows that when a pregnant woman misses out on vitamin C, the brain of her fetus may suffer.

“Even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother stunts the fetal hippocampus, the important memory center, by 10-15 percent, preventing the brain from optimal development,” says researcher Jens Lykkesfedlt.

Lykkesfedlt’s study also shows that the damage done to the fetal brain cannot be repaired, even if the baby is given vitamin C after birth.

“We used to think that the mother could protect the baby. Ordinarily there is a selective transport from mother to fetus of the substances the baby needs during pregnancy. However, it now appears that the transport is not sufficient in the case of vitamin C deficiency. Therefore it is extremely important to draw attention to this problem, which potentially can have serious consequences for the children affected,” says Jens Lykkesfeldt.