Reducing Pregnancy Complications With Vitamin C

While going through the miracle of producing a new life, women are fearful of pregnancy complications. Complications in pregnancies could lead to premature birth. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recommends that to help reduce the risk of one of the contributors of premature birth, women need to take a small amount of Vitamin C in the second half of their pregnancy. This will help reduce pregnancy complications.

The membranes (walls) of the sac that holds the growing fetus and the amniotic fluid - the fluid in the sac (amnion) that surrounds the fetus - begin to rupture when the pregnancy is ending and the process of birth is beginning. A normal pregnancy is supposed to last about 40 weeks. Premature birth is said to occur if the membranes rupture and the birth of the child occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

This premature rupture of membranes - PROM - occurs in 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies all over the world. The prematurely born infants have underdeveloped lungs, which do not function properly, and are susceptible to many health risks, including infections. Smoking, poor nutrition during their pregnancy, and vaginal infection, all contribute to the risk of PROM.

Controlled Studies

According to studies, the increased risk of PROM is due to the levels of Vitamin C - which have been found to be inadequate - in the cells of pregnant women. Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables. It contributes in an important way in the production and repair of connective tissues in the body. It is also believed to be critical in maintaining the fetal sac membranes.

Recent studies have confirmed that women who intake high levels of Vitamin C are less likely to have PROM in comparison to those with low intake. For the study:

•120 healthy women were randomly chosen to be given either 100 mg of Vitamin C per day, or a placebo.
•These women were less than 20 weeks pregnant.
•They were evaluated at the beginning of the study.
•They were evaluated every 4 weeks from week 20 of their pregnancy.

The results were:

.Women on Vitamin C showed 74 percent lower PROM incidence in comparison to those on placebos. .Incidence of premature births was also lower in the group taking Vitamin C - 13.4 percent v/s 24 percent.

Though it was admitted that the number of people under study was small, the results still suggested that intake of Vitamin C contributed to lower risk of PROM. It was suggested that intake of even a small amount of Vitamin C could contribute towards reduced pregnancy complications and premature births. It was suggested that pregnancy complications could be reduced with Vitamin C.