Vitamins C and E cannot prevent preeclampsia in women with risk factors

Vitamins C and E cannot prevent preeclampsia in women with risk factors

Increasing the intake of Vitamin C and E during pregnancy might not be such a good thing for women who are at risk for developing preeclampsia, according to British researchers. The study published in the March 30 online issue of The Lancet says that these vitamins might instead confer adverse effects like having a low birth-weight baby.

"Our findings of an increase in low birth weight and an increased need for treatment for preeclampsia suggest that these high doses of vitamins C and E do not work in preventing preeclampsia in this high-risk group," said Professor Lucilla Poston, lead researcher of the study, which was conducted by the charity Tommy's and funded by Wellcome Trust.

Dr Poston, who is the director of the research division of reproductive health, endocrinology and development at King's College London, added that normal women who are advised to take multivitamins during their pregnancy do not have the risk of having a low birth-weight baby or any other associated complications.

The study followed 2,400 pregnant women having high blood pressure, diabetes, clotting disorders or kidney problems, all of which pose a considerable risk in causing preeclampsia. These women were either given extra vitamin tablets or a placebo. It was found that women who took the extra supplements began to show signs of preeclampsia a week earlier than those who took a placebo.

Moreover, they had a 15 percent additional risk in delivering low birth-weight babies. A small study conducted by the same group had earlier said that vitamins C and E might play a role in countering the adverse effects of toxic free radicals released by the placenta, which cause preeclampsia.

But this study has now said that these vitamins do not reduce the ill effects. However, this does not mean that pregnant women should give up on the vitamins, "There is no evidence that taking vitamins C and E in multivitamin preparations recommended for pregnancy is harmful," Poston stressed.

"Indeed, our study suggested that women who were taking these multivitamins had slightly larger babies than those who were not." Preeclampsia is a condition where the blood pressure of a pregnant woman shoots way above normal levels. This condition could compromise the health of the mother as well as the baby.