Can vitamin B12 cure colic?

Eating steak, chicken and eggs in early pregnancy may help reduce the chances of having a crying, colicky baby, say scientists.

What newly-pregnant mums-to-be eat in the important first trimester could have a positive effect on their baby’s contentment. Research by Dutch scientists looked at levels of vitamin B12 in the blood of 4,000 pregnant women at the end of the first trimester (around 12 weeks). The results indicated that women with high levels of vitamin B12 in early pregnancy are three times more likely to have contented, quiet infants, while those with the lowest levels are far more likely to have babies that cry for at least three hours a day.

Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in brain and nervous system development for unborn babies, and is also essential for healthy blood. It is found in red meat, chicken, dairy products and fortified breakfast cereals, although doctors have stressed it’s too early to recommend that pregnant women change their diets.