Beginning in the second trimester, the women were randomly assigned
either a placebo or 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C with 400 international
units (IU) of vitamin E daily. There were 935 women who were given the
vitamin regimen, and 942 were given the placebo until delivery.
There were no significant differences between the two groups. In fact,
6% of the women in the vitamin group developed preeclampsia, while only
5% in the placebo group did. The rates of death or serious outcomes
were slightly higher in the placebo group. These complications arose in
9.5% of the vitamin group and 12.1% of the placebo group.
The risk of having a low birth weight baby was 8.7 percent for those
receiving vitamin therapy, and 9.9 percent for those women on the
placebo. Low birth weight is defined as a weight in the lowest 10th
percentile.
The researchers said these dosages of vitamins far exceed the dosages in
prenatal vitamins. They don’t believe there is much a woman can do to
prevent preeclampsia, but recommend eating a healthy diet full of
vitamins and minerals, getting a moderate amount of exercise and
reducing your stress levels. There is little benefit to this therapy
without being in a trial situation or without careful consultation with
their physician.
Lead author, Alice Rumbold, said “Our study found that for women in the
first pregnancy, taking vitamin C and E supplements did not reduce the
risk of developing preeclampsia. Alice is a postdoctoral research
fellow at the University of Adelaide and Women's and Children's Hospital
in North Adelaide, Australia. She adds “However, there was nothing in
the results to suggest that the vitamin C and E supplements were harmful
to the baby.”
Risk factors for preeclampsia include carrying multiple fetuses, being
overweight, being under 20 or over 35, or having a history of high blood
pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, and lupus. Women who have not been
pregnant for before or who have not been pregnant in the past 10 years
have a higher risk. Women who have had preeclampsia before are also at a
higher risk.
It is important to remember that the women at the highest risk were left
out of the study. The study outcome could have been different if these
women were included. Researchers point out that the results could vary
according to country.
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