According to this study, women with high levels of homocysteine in their blood have a 32% higher than normal risk of suffering pre-eclampsia, a 38% increased risk of giving birth prematurely, and a 101% increased risk of giving birth to a child with a low birth weight.
The incidence of birth defects such as spina bifida and clubfoot are also many times increased in the quartile of women with the highest levels of homocysteine in the blood.
This study was based on 5,883 Norwegian women who took part in the Hordaland Homocysteine Study. The values for plasma-homocysteine were compared in 14,492 pregnancies and births.
Homocysteine is produced in the breakdown of the amino acid methionine, which is a part of the diet. In order for it to be broken down into less toxic components, the B vitamins folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are necessary.
Source
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000; 71:962-968.
