On-time “Delivery” with Vitamin C
June 28, 2005
Vitamin C is necessary for the creation and maintenance of connective tissue. Therefore, it protects pregnant women against damage to the fetus membrane so that the uterine fluid in which the fetus floats does not leave the uterus prematurely. The typical Danish diet contains much too little Vitamin C for pregnant women.
It is well-known that pregnant women should take folic acid – even before the conception of the fetus – to prevent the birth of children with Spina Bifida. Now it seems that Vitamin C is important for the pregnant in another area: It protects against premature birth.
This is evident from a study conducted at the National Institute of Perinatology (the study of diseases in the child at the end of pregnancy and the first week of life) in Mexico City.
110 healthy pregnant women, average age 27, participated in the trial, which lasted from mid-pregnancy (week 20) until delivery. It was a randomised trial, where every other woman received a daily supplement of 100 mg of vitamin C, while the rest had to settle for the vitamins in their diet.
The Mexican women did not have a greater preference for fruit and vegetables than the Danish women. In their diet, they received an average of approximately 65 mg of vitamin C daily. This corresponds to Danish conditions. However, half of them received a larger supplement than the normal 60-70 mg found in vitamin pills in this country.
The women were examined at four-week intervals until they gave birth. The primary purpose was to investigate whether vitamin C protected against premature rupture of membranes. This was determined using the accepted definition, which states that if the membranes break more than two hours before the first contractions (dilation contractions), they break prematurely.
In an ideal birth, the water breaks only when the cervix is fully dilated, allowing the woman to begin pushing. This is called timely water breaking. However, if the water breaks while the cervix is dilating, it is called premature water breaking. In both cases, contractions occur before the water breaks. This is normal and appropriate.
Premature water breaking, i.e. water breaking before the onset of labor, is problematic, but of course especially when it takes a long time for labor to begin. The longer the interval, the greater the risk of infection of the mother and – especially – the child as a result of invading bacteria. Therefore, traditionally, the goal is to have the labor completed within 24 hours of the water breaking. It is therefore also very appropriate that water breaking itself usually initiates labor, even though this may mean premature labor.
The 100 mg of vitamin C was not superfluous. No less than one in four (24.5%) of the women who did not receive the supplement experienced premature rupture of membranes. The same happened to only about 8% of those who did.
How can this be explained? The authors refer to the well-known importance of vitamin C in the formation of connective tissue fibers, collagen. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It is essential for the strength of all supporting tissue.
The Mexican study suggests that it is also crucial for the strength of the amniotic membranes and thus for the normal course of birth. Or to put it another way: vitamin C ensures that it is not weak amniotic membranes, but rather the development of the child that determines the time of birth. Premature rupture of membranes is estimated to be the cause of 40% of all premature births.
In total, the women received an average of 165 mg of vitamin C per day. Whether this is optimal is unknown. But it is certain that, regardless of vitamin pills, many Danish pregnant women receive significantly less than the lucky half of the women in Mexico City.
By: Vitality Council
Reference:
Casanueva E, Ripoll C, Tolentino M, Morales RM, Pfeffer F, Vilchis P, Vadillo-Ortega F Vitamin C supplementation to prevent premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membranes: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):859-63.