Esther Casanueva, Carmina Ripoll, Maricruz Tolentino, Rosa Maria Morales, Frania Pfeffer, Pablo Vilchis and Felipe Vadillo-Ortega
1 From the Public Health Research Branch (EC, CR, MT, RMM, and FP), the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (PV), and the Direction of Research (FV-O), National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico.
Background: Vitamin C is involved in the synthesis and degradation of collagen and is important for maintenance of the chorioamniotic membranes. Inadequate availability of ascorbic acid during pregnancy has been proposed as a risk factor for premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes (PROM).
Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 100 mg vitamin C/d in preventing PROM.
Design: A controlled double-blind trial was performed. Pregnant women (n = 126) in their 20th wk of gestation were invited; 120 accepted and were randomly assigned to 2 groups (100 mg vitamin C/d or placebo). Every 4 wk, plasma and leukocyte vitamin C concentrations were measured, and each subject was evaluated for cervicovaginal infection. The incidence of PROM was recorded for each group as an indicator of the protective effect of vitamin C supplementation.
Results: One hundred nine patients finished the study. Mean plasma vitamin C concentrations decreased significantly throughout the pregnancy in both groups (P = 0.001), and there were no significant differences between groups. Between weeks 20 and 36, mean leukocyte vitamin C concentrations decreased from 17.5 to 15.23 µg/108 cells in the placebo group and increased from 17.26 to 22.17 µg/108 cells in the supplemented group (within- and between-group differences: P = 0.001). The incidence of PROM was 14 per 57 pregnancies (24.5%) in the placebo group and 4 per 52 pregnancies (7.69%) in the supplemented group (relative risk: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.078, 0.837).
Conclusion: Daily supplementation with 100 mg vitamin C after 20 wk of gestation effectively lessens the incidence of PROM.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Vitamin C supplementation to prevent premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes: a randomized trial
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4 comments:
was everyone taking a prenatal vitamin or just the vitamin C?
Prenatal vitamins don't contain 100 mg of Vit C - so this is in addition to your current prenatal vitamin, to my understanding...
In looking at my prenatal vitamin, I found one made by the same company that has fish oils in a morning dose and all other vitamins in an evening dose. It also includes 100 mg of Vit C. It is called PrimaCare and is made by Ther-X. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to talk to my doctor about switching to this one.
I'm taking a prenatal that also has a fish oil component but I have to pay $45 a month for it!
I'm going to ask my OB at my first appointment if I can pay for them out of pocket. A big bottle of DHA (300 capsules) is $12. I also have a womans daily vitamin that was $7 for 300 that is the same minus folic acid - so I'd need a perscription for folic acid which will cost me $7/month.
It's a ton cheaper. I hope she lets me!
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