Research paper
Vitamin C supplementation to prevent premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes: a randomized trial.
Study answer
What this study found
Vitamin C supplementation reduced premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes compared with placebo. PROM occurred in 4 of 52 pregnancies in the vitamin C group versus 14 of 57 in the placebo group, with a relative risk of 0.26 and 95% CI 0.078 to 0.837. Leukocyte vitamin C concentrations increased from 17.26 to 22.17 g/10 8 cells in the supplemented group, while plasma vitamin C declined over time in both groups with no between-group difference. The authors concluded that 100 mg/day vitamin C after 20 weeks of gestation lowers PROM incidence.
- Study & population
- Randomized controlled trial in pregnant women with singleton pregnancies at about 20 weeks of gestation attending a prenatal clinic in Mexico City.
- Intervention
- Oral vitamin C, 100 mg once daily as one tablet with water before breakfast, started at 20 weeks of gestation and continued through pregnancy follow-up.
- Key limitation
- The trial was small and conducted at a single prenatal clinic, which limits generalizability.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND Vitamin C is involved in the synthesis and degradation of collagen and is important for maintenance of the chorioamniotic membranes. Inadequate availability of ascorbic acid during pregnancy has been proposed as a risk factor for premature…