ascorbic-acid and Fetal-Death

Vitamin C supplementation may help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and maternal anaemia. There is a need to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vitamin C supplementation in pregnancy.. To evaluate the effects of vitamin C supplementation, alone or in combination with other separate supplements, on pregnancy outcomes, adverse events, side-effects and use of health resources.. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group Trials Register (23 June 2004), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2004), MEDLINE, Current Contents and EMBASE.. All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials evaluating vitamin C supplementation in pregnant women. Interventions using a multivitamin supplement containing vitamin C or where the primary supplement was iron were excluded.. Two authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, extracted data and assessed trial quality.. Five trials, involving 766 women, are included in this review. No difference was seen between women supplemented with vitamin C alone or combined with other supplements compared with placebo for the risk of stillbirth (relative risk (RR) 0.87, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.41 to 1.87, three trials, 539 women), perinatal death (RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.61 to 2.18, two trials, 238 women), birthweight (weighted mean difference (WMD) -139.00 g, 95% CI -517.68 to 239.68, one trial, 100 women) or intrauterine growth restriction (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.04, two trials, 383 women). Women supplemented with vitamin C alone or combined with other supplements were at increased risk of giving birth preterm (RR 1.38, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.82, three trials, 583 women). Significant heterogeneity was found for neonatal death and pre-eclampsia. No difference was seen between women supplemented with vitamin C combined with other supplements for the risk of neonatal death (RR 1.73, 95% CI 0.25 to 12.12, two trials, 221 women), using a random-effects model. For pre-eclampsia, women supplemented with vitamin C combined with other supplements were at decreased risk when using a fixed-effect model (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.75, four trials, 710 women); however, this difference could not be demonstrated when using a random-effects model (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.20, four trials, 710 women).. The data are too few to say if vitamin C supplementation, alone or combined with other supplements, is beneficial during pregnancy. Preterm birth may have been increased with vitamin C supplementation.

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fetal Death; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature Birth; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

To determine whether maternal vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation after the premature rupture of membranes is associated with an increase in the latency period before delivery.. In the present prospective open randomized trial, 229 pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) at ≥ 24.0 and < 34.0 weeks' gestation were randomly assigned to receive either 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E (n = 126) or a placebo (n = 123). The primary outcome was the latency period until delivery. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis.. No significant differences in demographic or clinical characteristics were observed between the groups. Latency period until delivery was significantly higher in the group that received vitamins compared with the control group (11.2 ± 6.3 days versus 6.2 ± 4.0 days; p < 0.001). Gestational age at delivery was also significantly higher in the vitamin group compared with the control group (31.9 ± 2.6 weeks versus 31.0 ± 2.6 weeks; p = 0.01). No significant differences in adverse maternal outcome (i.e., chorioamnionitis or endometritis) or neonatal outcome (i.e., neonatal sepsis, neonatal death, necrotizing enterocolitis, or grade 3 to 4 intraventricular hemorrhage) were noted between groups.. The findings of the present study suggest that the use of vitamins C and E in women with PPROM is associated with a longer latency period before delivery. Moreover, adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes, which are often associated with prolonged latency periods, were similar between the groups.

Topics: Adult; Ascorbic Acid; Delivery, Obstetric; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Time Factors; Vitamin E; Vitamins; Young Adult

We sought to investigate whether prenatal vitamin C and E supplementation reduces the incidence of gestational hypertension (GH) and its adverse conditions among high- and low-risk women.. In a multicenter randomized controlled trial, women were stratified by the risk status and assigned to daily treatment (1 g vitamin C and 400 IU vitamin E) or placebo. The primary outcome was GH and its adverse conditions.. Of the 2647 women randomized, 2363 were included in the analysis. There was no difference in the risk of GH and its adverse conditions between groups (relative risk, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.26). However, vitamins C and E increased the risk of fetal loss or perinatal death (nonprespecified) as well as preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.. Vitamin C and E supplementation did not reduce the rate of preeclampsia or GH, but increased the risk of fetal loss or perinatal death and preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.

Topics: Adult; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Membranes, Premature Rupture; Humans; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Risk; Risk Factors; Vitamin E

Prematurity and low birth weight are associated with high perinatal and infant mortality, especially in developing countries. Maternal micronutrient deficiencies may contribute to these adverse outcomes.. In a double-blind trial in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we randomly assigned 8468 pregnant women (gestational age of fetus, 12 to 27 weeks) who were negative for human immunodeficiency virus infection to receive daily multivitamins (including multiples of the recommended dietary allowance) or placebo. All the women received prenatal supplemental iron and folic acid. The primary outcomes were low birth weight (<2500 g), prematurity, and fetal death.. The incidence of low birth weight was 7.8% among the infants in the multivitamin group and 9.4% among those in the placebo group (relative risk, 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 0.95; P=0.01). The mean difference in birth weight between the groups was modest (67 g, P<0.001). The rates of prematurity were 16.9% in the multivitamin group and 16.7% in the placebo group (relative risk, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.11; P=0.87), and the rates of fetal death were 4.3% and 5.0%, respectively (relative risk, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.05; P=0.15). Supplementation reduced both the risk of a birth size that was small for gestational age (<10th percentile; 10.7% in the multivitamin group vs. 13.6% in the placebo group; relative risk, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.87; P<0.001) and the risk of maternal anemia (hemoglobin level, <11 g per deciliter; relative risk, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.97; P=0.01), although the difference in the mean hemoglobin levels between the groups was small (0.2 g per deciliter, P<0.001).. Multivitamin supplementation reduced the incidence of low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age births but had no significant effects on prematurity or fetal death. Multivitamins should be considered for all pregnant women in developing countries. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00197548 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Adult; Ascorbic Acid; Birth Weight; Double-Blind Method; Female; Fetal Death; HIV Seronegativity; Humans; Incidence; Infant Mortality; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature Birth; Tanzania; Vitamin B Complex; Vitamin E; Vitamins

Supplementation with antioxidant vitamins has been proposed to reduce the risk of preeclampsia and perinatal complications, but the effects of this intervention are uncertain.. We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial of nulliparous women between 14 and 22 weeks of gestation. Women were assigned to daily supplementation with 1000 mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E or placebo (microcrystalline cellulose) until delivery. Primary outcomes were the risks of maternal preeclampsia, death or serious outcomes in the infants (on the basis of definitions used by the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network), and delivering an infant whose birth weight was below the 10th percentile for gestational age.. Of the 1877 women enrolled in the study, 935 were randomly assigned to the vitamin group and 942 to the placebo group. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. There were no significant differences between the vitamin and placebo groups in the risk of preeclampsia (6.0 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively; relative risk, 1.20; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.75), death or serious outcomes in the infant (9.5 percent and 12.1 percent; relative risk, 0.79; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.61 to 1.02), or having an infant with a birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age (8.7 percent and 9.9 percent; relative risk, 0.87; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.66 to 1.16).. Supplementation with vitamins C and E during pregnancy does not reduce the risk of preeclampsia in nulliparous women, the risk of intrauterine growth restriction, or the risk of death or other serious outcomes in their infants. (Controlledtrials.com number, ISRCTN00416244.).

Topics: Adult; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Growth Retardation; Humans; Hypertension; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Parity; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Outcome; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn; Risk; Vitamin E

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been associated with adverse developmental outcomes including embryonic resorption, intra-uterine fetal death (IUFD), intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and preterm labor. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate LPS-induced developmental toxicity. Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ascorbic acid on LPS-induced IUFD and IUGR in mice. All ICR pregnant mice except controls received an intraperitoneal (75 microg/kg, i.p.) injection of LPS daily on gd 15-17. The experiment was carried out in three different modes. In mode A, the pregnant mice were pretreated with a single dose (500 mg/kg, i.p.) of ascorbic acid before LPS. In mode B, the pregnant mice were administered with a single dose (500 mg/kg, i.p.) of ascorbic acid at 3h after LPS. In mode C, the pregnant mice were administered with 500 mg/kg (i.p.) of ascorbic acid at 30 min before LPS, followed by additional dose (500 mg/kg, i.p.) of ascorbic acid at 3h after LPS. The number of live fetuses, dead fetuses and resorption sites was counted on gd 18. Live fetuses in each litter were weighed. Crown-rump and tail lengths were examined and skeletal development was evaluated. Results showed that maternally administered LPS significantly increased fetal mortality, decreased fetal weight and crown-rump and tail lengths of live fetuses, and retarded skeletal ossification in caudal vertebrae, anterior and posterior phalanges, and supraoccipital bone. LPS-induced IUFD and IUGR were associated with lipid peroxidation and GSH depletion in maternal liver, placenta and fetal liver. Pre-treatment with ascorbic acid significantly attenuated LPS-induced lipid peroxidation, decreased fetal mortality, and reversed LPS-induced fetal growth and skeletal development retardation. By contrast to pre-treatment, post-treatment with ascorbic acid had less effect on LPS-induced IUFD, although post-treatment significantly attenuated LPS-induced lipid peroxidation and reversed LPS-induced fetal growth and skeletal development retardation. Furthermore, post-treatment with ascorbic acid reduced the protective effects of pre-treatment on LPS-induced IUFD. All these results suggest that pre-treatment with ascorbic acid protected against LPS-induced fetal death and reversed LPS-induced growth and skeletal development retardation via counteracting LPS-induced oxidative stress, whereas post-treatment had less effect on LPS-induced IUFD.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Bone and Bones; Bone Development; Crown-Rump Length; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Growth Retardation; Fetal Weight; Glutathione; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipopolysaccharides; Liver; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Odds Ratio; Placenta; Pregnancy; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

Of 20 fibroblast cell strains from patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a disease caused by mutations in the genes encoding type I procollagen, three had increased synthesis of BiP (GRP78), an hsp70-related, endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein. All three strains carry unique mutations in pro alpha 1(I) chains which impair type I procollagen chain association. Immunoprecipitation and pulse-chase experiments show that BiP (immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein) stably binds pro alpha 1(I) chains in these three cell strains after a brief lag. Ascorbate, which increases procollagen synthesis, increases BiP synthesis and content in these three strains and not in the others. In one of these three strains, BiP content is constitutively elevated prior to ascorbate treatment, and BiP is less inducible. This strain also has relatively high levels of synthesis and content of GRP94, another endoplasmic reticulum-resident stress protein. Pretreating each of the three cell strains to increase their BiP content reduces subsequent ascorbate-mediated BiP induction. BiP synthesis in the 17 other OI strains examined, which had a variety of type I procollagen mutations, was normal. These results suggest that BiP is induced by and binds procollagen with specific types of mutations: ones in the carboxyl-terminal propeptide that interfere with chain association. The recognition by BiP of such procollagen in OI cell strains shows that BiP plays a role in the physiological response to the production of some disease-producing abnormal proteins.

Topics: 2,2'-Dipyridyl; Amino Acid Sequence; Ascorbic Acid; Carrier Proteins; Cells, Cultured; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; Female; Fetal Death; Fibroblasts; Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Kinetics; Macromolecular Substances; Molecular Chaperones; Molecular Weight; Osteogenesis Imperfecta; Point Mutation; Procollagen; Protein Binding; Skin

Incidence of early embryonic death (EED) and associated changes in serum cortisol, progesterone and plasma ascorbic acid (AA) in transported mares were investigated. Mares were transported for 472 km (9 h) during either d 16 to 22 (T-3 wk, n = 15) or d 32 to 38 (T-5 wk, n = 15) of gestation. Blood samples were drawn from control, nontransported mares (NT-3 wk, NT-5 wk, n = 24) and transported mares pre-trip, midtrip, and at 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post-transport and daily for the next 2 wk. Incidence of EED between transported and nontransported mares was not different (P greater than .05). Serum cortisol in all transported mares increased (P less than .05) relative to pre-trip values at midtrip and 0 h post-transport. Relative to NT mares, serum cortisol was higher (P less than .05) at midtrip in T-3 wk mares and 0 h post-transport in T-5 wk mares. Serum progesterone in all T mares increased (P less than .05) at midtrip relative to pre-trip values and was higher (P less than .05) in T-3 wk mares than in NT-3 wk mares at midtrip and 0 h post-transport. Post-transport decreases (P less than .05) in concentrations of progesterone were observed in mares that aborted. Plasma AA in transported mares increased (P less than .05) at midtrip in T-5 wk mares and decreased (P less than .05) relative to pre-trip values at 24 and 48 h post-transport (T-3 wk and T-5 wk mares, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Female; Fetal Death; Horse Diseases; Horses; Hydrocortisone; Pregnancy; Progesterone; Stress, Physiological; Transportation

1. The effect of different intakes of folic acid (FA) and vitamin C on pregnancy in the Dunkin-Hartley guinea-pig was examined. Female guinea-pigs were subjected to three graded intakes of FA and vitamin C ('deficient', 'intermediate' similar to recommended daily intakes (RDI), and 'supplemented') during early gestation and up to the time of neural tube closure (17th day of gestation), and then returned to the RDI of these vitamins. 2. Plasma and blood cell concentrations of these vitamins were measured once before and at the end of the dietary treatments. Reproductive performance was assessed in terms of the number of resorbed and aborted embryos and weight and size of the live fetuses on the 36th day of gestation. 3. The short-term deficiency of either of these two vitamins, insufficient to affect maternal health, had a dramatic effect on the reproductive performance. 4. The RDI of FA was significantly less effective than the supplemented intake in preventing embryonic deaths. The RDI of vitamin C produced lighter and smaller live fetuses than the supplemented intake. 5. The implications of these findings with regard to vitamin status in early pregnancy in man are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Diet; Female; Fetal Death; Fetus; Folic Acid; Guinea Pigs; Litter Size; Nutritional Requirements; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Reproduction

Administration of ochratoxin A to pregnant rats from 6 to 12 days of gestation period, resulted in complete resorption of fetuses. On histological examination luteal degeneration was observed along with reduction in the weight of corpus luteum (mg/100 mg ovarian tissue) and pituitary gland. The enzyme delta 5-3 beta-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (delta 5-3 beta-OHD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were demonstrated histochemically in the ovary of pregnant rats. The activities of the enzymes were suppressed significantly in ochratoxin A treated rats. The same treatment also resulted in an accumulation of cholesterol and ascorbic acid in the ovary. Based on these results, it is suggested that resorption of fetuses in ochratoxin A treated rats may be related with a diminution in ovarian steroidogenesis possibly due to reduction in pituitary gonadotrophin secretion.

Topics: 3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Cholesterol; Corpus Luteum; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Resorption; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; Ochratoxins; Organ Size; Ovary; Pituitary Gland; Pregnancy; Rats

Embryos died and a teratogenic effect followed combined intragastric administration of methylurea (MU) and sodium nitrite (SN) to rats on the 9th day of pregnancy; this was caused by the endogenous synthesis of nitroso-methylurea which produced a pathogenic action. Ascorbic acid and urotropine completely blocked the possibility of manifestation of the embryotoxic and teratogenic effect occuring after combined administration of MU and SN. Sodium sulfomate decreased the embryotoxic and partially the teratogenic effect considerably, whereas urea failed to prevent the expression of the harmful effect of MU and SN on the embryo.

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Female; Fetal Death; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Methenamine; Methylurea Compounds; Nitrites; Pregnancy; Rats; Sulfonic Acids; Teratogens

Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Congenital Abnormalities; Female; Fetal Death; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Nutritional Requirements; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Abortion, Spontaneous; Administration, Oral; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Birth Weight; Body Weight; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fetal Death; Fetus; Gestational Age; Lactation; Mice; Pregnancy; Rats; Reproduction

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Erythromycin; Female; Fetal Death; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Rats; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Body Weight; Corpus Luteum; Depression, Chemical; Embryo, Mammalian; Female; Fertility; Fetal Death; Gestational Age; Glycogen; Histocytochemistry; Nucleic Acids; Organ Size; Placenta; Placenta Diseases; Pregnancy; Rats; Tetracycline

Topics: Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Chickens; Diabetes Mellitus; False Positive Reactions; Female; Fetal Death; Fetus; Glycosuria; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Oxalates; Phosphates; Pregnancy; Rats; Urinary Calculi

Topics: Adrenal Glands; Ascorbic Acid; Female; Fetal Death; Fetus; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Male; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Obstetric Labor Complications; Physiology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications

Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Blood Volume; Female; Fetal Death; Fetus; Guinea Pigs; Hemoglobinometry; Hysterectomy; Laparotomy; Methemoglobin; Methemoglobinemia; Methylene Blue; Nitrites; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy, Animal

Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Animal Feed; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Female; Fetal Death; Food; Guinea Pigs; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal

Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Fetal Death; Guinea Pigs; Hypoxia; Liver Diseases; Lung Diseases; Pathology; Pharmacology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Research; Toxicology