Magnesium supplementation in pregnancy. A double-blind study. [Magnesium substitution in pregnancy. A prospective, randomized double-blind study]. Calcium supplementation reduces the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension in an Andes population.
The effect of magnesium supplementation in pregnancy was studied in 568 women who were treated with 15 mmol magnesium-aspartate-hydrochloride per day or aspartic acid as placebo given orally during pregnancy from less than or equal to 16 weeks. Allocation to the two groups was performed according to the women's birthdates. Magnesium supplementation during pregnancy was associated with significantly fewer maternal hospitalizations, a reduction in preterm delivery, and less frequent referral of the newborn to the neonatal intensive care unit. The results suggest that magnesium supplementation during pregnancy has a significant influence on fetal and maternal morbidity both before and after delivery. The results of a prospective, randomized double-blind study of magnesium substitution in pregnancy are reported. Of 997 gravidae, 985 were included in the study. Of these, 485 received magnesium aspartate (Mg 5-Longoral) and 500 a placebo. The results show that the course of pregnancy was better in the group which received the magnesium aspartate in a daily dose of 15 mmol (Mg 5-Longoral) than in the group given placebo. Among the women treated with magnesium were fewer premature births (less than 258 days' gestation). The proportion of newborns, small for date (less than 2500 g), was lower, as was the proportion of newborns with intrauterine retardation (greater than 10th percentile). There were significantly fewer cases of EPH gestosis in the magnesium group, and no serious side effects of treatment. In the authors' opinion, magnesium substitution should be included in routine antenatal care. Previous studies have suggested that increased dietary calcium is associated with a decreased occurrence of pregnancy-induced hypertension. In this study 106 young healthy nulliparous women, residing in Quito, Ecuador, were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. From 24 weeks gestation until delivery they received either 2 g of elemental calcium per day or a placebo. Calcium supplementation was associated with a significantly decreased risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, with 4.1% developing pregnancy-induced hypertension in the treatment group versus 27.9% in the placebo group. Treatment was associated with a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure over the course of pregnancy. In addition, there was a small but significant increase in serum ionized calcium levels in the calcium-supplemented group during the treatment period.
There is not enough high quality evidence to show that dietary magnesium supplementation during pregnancy is beneficial.
[Note: The 15 citations in the awaiting classification section of the review may alter the conclusions of the review once assessed.]