Vitamins do not reduce complications during pregnancy

Vitamin supplementation at high doses does not reduce the effects of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.

Vitamin E supplementation at high doses does not reduce the effects of pre-eclampsia in pregnant women Pre-eclampsia, a disease that causes high blood pressure is dangerous, which can lead to seizures, convulsions or fainting. , endangering life for both pregnant women and their babies.

Previous studies have shown that high doses of vitamin C and E may reduce the risk of this disease. However, scientists in London, UK have just said their research shows that supplementing these vitamins does not work to prevent disease.

They studied the effect of high dose vitamin intake in 2,400 UK women at high risk of pre-eclampsia. Half of these take 1,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C and 400 IU (international units) of vitamin E every day in the second trimester of pregnancy. The other group used placebo.

The results showed that the effects of pre-eclampsia in both groups were the same, even in the vitamin group, the babies were born with less weight and needed medical care to control the disease.

Professor Lucilla Poston of the research team said: 'Our findings show that high doses of vitamin C and E do not prevent pre-eclampsia nor have significant effects on young health in the long term.' .

Women are at higher risk of pre-eclampsia if they have ever had diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or kidney disease. Particularly, obese women are at increased risk of pre-eclampsia (a condition that affects women at the end of pregnancy with some symptoms such as high blood pressure, ankle swelling. and protein in urine) 4 or 5 times higher than women of normal weight.

T.VY