{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,28]],"date-time":"2026-01-28T05:28:12Z","timestamp":1769578092641,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769472000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Foundation to Promote Research into Functional Vitamin B12 Deficiency"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of corrected age (CA) is recommended for premature infants with very low birth weight (&lt;1500 g) (VLBW). B vitamins are essential for normal development and growth, including DNA methylation, and we investigated whether exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months provides an adequate cobalamin, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B2 status compared to additional or exclusive formula feeding from term to 12 months CA. Methods: In recruited infants born prematurely with VLBW, levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin), folate, vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5\u2032-phosphate, PLP), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and the metabolic markers, total homocysteine (tHcy) and methylmalonic acid (MMA), were determined at term (n = 35) and at 2 (n = 47), 6 (n = 48), and 12 months (n = 58) CA. Results: Only a minority of the infants were given multivitamin supplementation, and this was associated with higher PLP and riboflavin levels. One-third of the infants were exclusively breastfed to 6 months CA, and these had lower cobalamin, PLP, and riboflavin concentrations compared to formula-fed infants; additionally, 80% had plasma tHcy concentrations \u2265 6.5 \u00b5mol\/L, indicative of cobalamin deficiency during the first 6 months CA. Serious deficiency of one or more B vitamins was evident in 3\u20139% of the infants at each time point during the first 12 months CA, more often in breastfed infants, but not exclusively. Conclusions: Exclusive breastfeeding with inadequate multivitamin supplementation and no specific recommendation for introduction of solid food does not provide an adequate B vitamin status in infants born prematurely with VLBW. Nutritional micronutrient recommendations must be improved, and regular evaluation of vitamin status should be implemented in the follow-up for premature VLBW infants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18030423","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]],"date-time":"2026-01-27T17:07:38Z","timestamp":1769533658000},"page":"423","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exclusive Breastfeeding Is Not Ensuring an Adequate Vitamin B Status in Premature Infants with Very Low Birth Weight"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9232-2503","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anne-Lise","family":"Bj\u00f8rke-Monsen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, F\u00f8rde Hospital Trust, 6807 F\u00f8rde, Norway"},{"name":"Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6157-3708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ingrid Kristin","family":"Torsvik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7377-5198","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariann Haavik Lysfjord","family":"Bentsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1471-0225","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thomas","family":"Halvorsen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1903-0571","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Per Magne","family":"Ueland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bevital, 5009 Bergen, Norway"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1017\/S0029665111003247","article-title":"Vitamins and neural and cognitive developmental outcomes in children","volume":"71","author":"Benton","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proc. 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