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Major WHO study concludes calcium supplements can reduce complications during pregnancy
EurekNet
2006-03-10
Preeclampsia, the development of high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy and its more severe complications such as eclampsia, can threaten the lives of both mother and child. While there is no therapy to prevent preeclampsia, a link to calcium deficiency has been suggested. In a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers across the globe, under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), investigated whether a calcium supplement could reduce the complications and mortality from this condition.
Over 8300 women with low dietary calcium (<600 mg/day, about half of that
recommended during pregnancy) were selected for the study. The subjects were
randomly divided into two groups that had similar gestational ages, demographic
characteristics, and normal blood pressures before treatment started. Half were
given 1.5g of a calcium supplement per day and half received a placebo.
While the incidence of preeclampsia was not statistically different in the
supplemented women, eclampsia, other severe complications and severe gestational
hypertension were significantly lower. Overall, the "severe preeclamptic
complications index" and the "severe maternal morbidity and mortality
index," including all severe conditions, were also reduced with calcium.
Preterm and early preterm delivery (<32 weeks) tended to be reduced among
women 20 years of age who were at highest risk for low calcium and
complications. It is very important to note that neonatal mortality was also
lower in the calcium group.
This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was
performed at antenatal care centers located in Rosario, Argentina Assiut,
Egypt Nagpur and Vellore, India Lima, Peru East London and Johannesburg,
South Africa and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. These centers are part of the WHO
Maternal and Perinatal Research Network, each having extensive clinical trial
experience.
Writing in the article, Jose Villar, MD, states, "This large randomized
trial in populations with low calcium intake demonstrates that while
supplementation with 1.5 gm calcium/day did not result in a statistically
significant decrease in the overall incidence of preeclampsia, calcium
significantly decreased the risk of its more serious complications, including
maternal and severe neonatal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm
delivery, the latter among young women."
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The study, "WHO Randomized Trial of Calcium Supplementation Among Low
Calcium Intake Pregnant Women" by Jose Villar, MD Hany Abdel-Aleem, MD
Mario Merialdi, MD Matthews Mathai, MD Mohamed Ali, PhD Nelly Zavaleta, MD
Manorama Purwar MD Justus Hofmeyr, MD Nguyen thi Nhu Ngoc, MD Liana Campdonico,
MSc Sihem Landoulsi, MSc Guillermo Carroli, MD and Marshall Lindheimer, MD, on
behalf of the WHO Calcium Supplementation for the Prevention of Preeclampsia
Trial Group, appears in the March 2006 issue of the American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 194, Issue 3 published by Elsevier.
Contact: Pamela Poppalardo
ajog@elsevier.com
http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ymob
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