Antioxidant Supplementation in Pregnant Women

Antioxidant Supplementation in Pregnant Women With Low Antioxidant Status

The purpose of this study is to investigate the benefit of several micro nutrients of antioxidants (using milk) in a cohort of women with low antioxidant status and the changes in cell-free mRNA.

Preeclampsia remains one of leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Despite intensive research, the cause of preeclampsia has not been established. One of the theories is exaggeration of systemic inflammatory that might induce reactive oxygen species (ROS). It has been proposed that pregnancy will progress uneventfully if adequate antioxidant exists to buffer ROS. The ROS can induce endothelial dysfunction which leads to clinical symptoms of hypertension and proteinuria in preeclampsia. Several large randomized clinical trials of antioxidant supplementation have concluded that there were no benefits of antioxidants supplementation for prevention of preeclampsia. However, there is limited information about benefits of antioxidants in women with low antioxidant status at early gestation that deprived of the antioxidant most. Our aim, therefore, in this study was to assess whether early supplementation with milk enriched with vitamin and mineral, such as Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, carotene, vitamin B6, B12, C, E, selenium, and calcium lowers the risk of preeclampsia in women with low antioxidant status at early gestation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• pregnant women with 8-12 weeks of gestation

Exclusion Criteria:

• known multiple pregnancy
• known fetal anomaly
• known thrombophilia
• known infections and mola hydatidosa
• chronic renal failure
• uncontrolled hypertension
• known placental abnormalities
• documented uterine bleeding within a week of screening
• uterine malformation
• history of medical and metabolic complication such as heart disease or diabetes