Vitamins no help for preeclampsia

A disappointing new study has found that vitamin C and E supplements given to healthy pregnant women do not reduce their risk of developing preeclampsia, a complication that can be lethal to both the woman and her fetus.

Preeclampsia happens when vessels in the womb constrict, cutting off blood and oxygen to the fetus. It occurs in late pregnancy and produces an increase in blood pressure. The condition kills about 76,000 women and fetuses a year worldwide. In the United States, it occurs in about 8% of pregnancies and accounts for 15% of premature births.

Pregnant women routinely take a prenatal multivitamin containing small amounts of vitamins C and E, and a previous small study had suggested that supplements might help prevent preeclampsia.

The new study, led by researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia, was published in the April 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.