• Vitamin supplements for pregnant women may be waste of money
• Specific multivitamin, mineral preparations for expectant mothers are unlikely to be needed, unnecessary expenditures

A recent study by Nigerian researchers found that reducing salt intake during pregnancy does not decrease the chances of developing preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, and a large amount of protein in the urine.

In the past, a low-salt diet was often recommended, in the belief that it would help to prevent preeclampsia.

The research team from the Department of Biochemistry, Anambra State University, Uli, led by Prof. Anthony Onochie, concluded: “Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, and a large amount of protein in the urine. It affects five per cent of women. The disorder usually occurs in the third trimester of pregnancy and gets worse over time.”

Also, another study has questioned the usefulness of supplements as essential vitamin supplements to maternal health.

A new report, published in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, assessed the existing literature to investigate whether these products translate into better outcomes for women and their children.

Maternal deficiency of certain nutrients has been linked to a number of negative health consequences for mother and child.

Risks include restricted fetal growth, low birth weight, skeletal deformities, and pre-eclampsia.

These well-known dangers support a huge vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient industry aimed at pregnant women.

Typically, these tablets will contain 20 or more vitamins and minerals, often including a range of B vitamins, C, D, E, K, iodine, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and copper.

Also, a Cochrane review titled “Low salt intake in pregnancy is unlikely to prevent preeclampsia” found just two trials that did not show any evidence of benefit for the mother or baby. Salt intake in pregnancy should be a matter of personal preference.

It concluded: “In the absence of evidence that advice to alter salt intake during pregnancy has any beneficial effect for prevention of preeclampsia or any other outcome, salt consumption during pregnancy should remain a matter of personal preference.”

The professor also noted high body fat as a determinant factor behind preeclampsia.
Onochie blamed ignorance as the reason people still die of preeclampsia. Stressing on the need for pregnant women to always go for antenatal care in order to detect this disorder on time for proper and adequate management.

“There is no definitive known cause of preeclampsia, though it is likely related to abnormal placentation, high body fat and increased blood pressure,” said Onochie.

Preeclampsia is most often seen in first time pregnancies, in pregnant teens and in women over forty and if the woman is carrying twins. In severe disease, there maybe red blood cell breakdown, a low blood platelet count, impaired liver function, kidney dysfunction, swelling, and shortness of breathe due to fluid in the lungs, or visual disturbances and even death.

Researchers also suspect poor nutrition and high body fat as possible causes. Clinically, individuals with severe preeclampsia may also present epigastria or right upper quadrant abdominal pain, headaches, and vomiting.

Preventative measures against preeclampsia have been heavily studied, because the causes of preeclampsia are not completely understood, prevention remains a complex issue. There are some of the currently accepted recommendations ranging from: Protein or calorie supplementations having no effect on preeclampsia rates, and dietary protein restriction do not appear to increase preeclampsia rates.

According to Mayo Clinic, eating less salt, changing your activities, restricting calories, or consuming garlic or fish oil doesn’t reduce your risk.

“Increasing your intake of vitamins C and E hasn’t been shown to have a benefit, and the research into vitamin D is ongoing.”

Mayo Clinic, however, noted that in certain cases one might be able to reduce the risk of preeclampsia with: “Low-dose aspirin. If you had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy that resulted in delivery before 34 weeks’ gestation or you had preeclampsia in more than one previous pregnancy, your doctor may recommend a daily low-dose aspirin — between 60 and 81 milligrams — beginning late in your first trimester.

“Calcium supplements. In some populations, women who have calcium deficiency before pregnancy — and who don’t get enough calcium during pregnancy through their diets — might benefit from calcium supplements to prevent preeclampsia. However, it’s unlikely that women from the United States or other developed countries would have calcium deficiency to the degree that calcium supplements would benefit them.”

Meanwhile, although studies have been done on the effectiveness of certain supplements, much of this research has been conducted in low-income countries where mothers are more likely to have nutritional deficiencies than Europe or the United States.

Other investigations into the effectiveness of maternal vitamin and mineral tablets have been observational studies, which are subject to bias and cannot demonstrate cause, only associations.

The current report set out to assess how beneficial maternal supplements are and whether research backs up the sale of these vitamins and minerals. In particular, they concentrated on vitamins A, C, D, and E, iron, and folic acid.

The results of the literature review found that the benefits of folic acid supplementation had the strongest evidence.