PREGNANT PAUSE

Large doses of folic acid (the vitamin all pregnant women should take to prevent neural tube defects in their babies) can mask a B12 deficiency. So your doctor might miss the signs of low B12 until more serious symptoms pop up, says Dr Zhaoping Li, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, in the US. If you’re expecting, ask your obstetrician to check your vitamin levels when other blood tests are carried out.