Pregnancy Information

Vitamin C Prevents Pregnancy Complication


Women who supplement with a small amount of vitamin C during the second half of pregnancy reduce their risk of one contributor to premature birth, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005; 81:859-63).

The end of pregnancy and the beginning of the birth process is marked by rupture of the walls (membranes) of the sac that holds the growing fetus and the amniotic fluid. A healthy pregnancy usually lasts around 40 weeks. Premature birth occurs when the membranes rupture and birth begins before 37 weeks of pregnancy. PROM (premature rupture of the membranes) occurs in 10 to 20% of pregnancies worldwide and is the most common cause of premature births. Babies born prematurely face many health risks including underdeveloped lungs which do not function properly, increased susceptibility to infections and difficulty with nursing. Vaginal infection, smoking and poor maternal nutrition can all increase the risk of PROM.

Studies have suggested that inadequate levels of vitamin C in the cells of pregnant women might be linked to increased PROM risk. Vitamin C, an antioxidant nutrient found in fruits and vegetables, plays an important role in the production and repair of connective tissues throughout the body and is believed to be critical to the maintenance of the fetal sac membranes. In one study, women with high dietary intake of vitamin C were less likely to experience PROM than women with low intake. The effect of vitamin C supplementation on risk of PROM has not been previously studied.

In the current study, 120 healthy women who were less than 20 weeks pregnant were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of vitamin C per day or placebo. Each woman was evaluated upon entry to the study and every four weeks from week 20 of their pregnancy until delivery. PROM incidence was 74% lower in the women taking vitamin C than in the women receiving placebo (7.69% versus 24.5%). The incidence of premature births was also lower in the vitamin C group than in the placebo group (13.4% versus 24%); however, this 44% reduction in risk was not statistically significant because of the small number of people studied.

The results of this study suggest that supplementing with vitamin C can reduce the risk of PROM. Since PROM is involved in more than 40% of all premature births, it is possible that small amounts of supplemental vitamin C might help prevent premature births. A larger study is needed to determine this more definitively.

Vitamin Herb University is the premier online course and informational resource for dietary supplements, supplement reviews, vitamin information, herb information, and drug herb interaction.


MORE RESOURCES:

How Much Caffeine is Safe During Pregnancy
Organic Authority (blog)
When it comes to consuming caffeine during pregnancy, I succumb to the proverb: it is indeed better to be safe than sorry. ...

and more »


India Talkies

Gastric Bypass Lowers Risk of Pregnancy Diabetes
CalorieLab Calorie Counter News
Obese women who have bariatric surgery before pregnancy are three times less likely to develop gestational diabetes (GDM) than women who had the operation ...
Bariatric ops reduce chances of gestational diabetesSify

all 17 news articles »


Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100% Preventable
Food Consumer
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. ...
Raising awarenessNKU The Northerner Online
PCGHD recognizing FASD awareness dayRegister-Herald
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day is Sept. 9Spring Grove Herald
100 Mile House Free Press -BCLocalNews -Voxy
all 28 news articles »


Daily Mail

There's no remedy for morning sickness, say scientists
ParentDish UK
Their research, which examined studies of around 4000 women in the first half of pregnancy, is published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. ...
Morning sickness 'cures' put to the test... and none of them workDaily Mail
Pills 'useless for sickness in pregnancy'Metro
'Morning sickness cures don't work'The Press Association
Independent -BBC News -Softpedia
all 47 news articles »


Babble (blog)

Too Much Pregnancy Weight Sets up Babies for Obesity
Babble (blog)
We know that moms who gain a lot of weight in pregnancy are more likely to have heavy babies, but the question has always been whether it's because they ...
TN obesity often begins with overweight motherThe Tennessean

all 3 news articles »


Weight Problems May Begin in the Womb
New York Times
Excessive weight gain in pregnancy, recent findings show, can result in bigger-than-average babies who are prenatally programmed to become overweight ...



CBC.ca

CT, nuclear imaging tests in pregnancy don't raise risk of cancer in kids: study
Winnipeg Free Press
TORONTO - In about one out of every 160 pregnancies, a CT scan or other nuclear medicine diagnostic test is done on the woman — to diagnose serious ...
Fetal exposure to radiation and the risk of childhood cancer: What is the ...EurekAlert (press release)
CT tests in pregnancy don't raise kids' cancer riskCBC.ca
Radiodiagnostic tests don't boost childhood cancer risk, study saysGlobe and Mail

all 15 news articles »


WomensRadio

HUD Investigates Mortgage Squeeze on Pregnancy
WomensRadio
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on gender and "family status," which includes pregnancy. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits ...



Wonder Woman

Boy or Girl? Alter Your Diet, Micro-Manage Sex and Other Pregnancy Myths
TIME (blog)
After I had my son, I desperately wanted a girl. When I got pregnant again, I was so convinced another XY was on the way that when the doctor delivered our ...
Pregnancy diet can affect the sex of your babyMadeForMums

all 4 news articles »


FDA OKs Quidel Pregnancy Test
Zacks.com
(QDEL - Snapshot Report) has received 510 (k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new pregnancy test solution. ...

and more »

Google News

home | Index | site map
© 2010