A recently published study evaluated the role of vitamin C in pregnant women to determine if there was a correlation between vitamin C levels and prenatal health. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin with significant antioxidant activity.
In this study, researchers evaluated plasma vitamin C levels in 80 pregnant women at various stages of gestation. Additionally, vitamin C levels were compared between the women with early rupture of membranes and the women who did not have this complication.
The study revealed that plasma vitamin C levels decreased in the women with increasing gestational age. This means that as the pregnancy progressed, vitamin C levels decreased. The study also showed that plasma vitamin C levels were significantly lower in the women with early rupture of membranes compared to the women who did not have this complication.
The study authors concluded that vitamin C was lower in the women with early rupture of membranes. Thus, low plasma vitamin C may be considered a risk factor for this pregnancy complication. They also stated that improved dietary practices or supplements may be a useful adjunctive strategy to reduce the incidence of early membrane rupture in pregnancy, and that further investigation is indicated.
Reference:
Osaikhuwuomwan JA, Okpere EE, Okonkwo CA, Ande AB, Idogun ES. Plasma vitamin C levels and risk of preterm prelabour rupture of membranes. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2010 Nov 3. Published Online Ahead of Print.