Study: Supplements do not reduce risk during pregnancy

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A disappointing new study found that vitamin C and E supplements given to healthy pregnant women do not reduce their risk of developing preeclampsia, a complication that can be lethal to both mother and child.
Similarly, a recent British study found that the supplements do not help women who run a high risk of preeclampsia, and might even harm their babies by leading to low birth weight.
Preeclampsia happens when vessels in the mother's womb constrict, cutting off blood and oxygen to the fetus. It occurs in late pregnancy and produces a spike in blood pressure. No one knows why it happens, and there is no effective treatment other than inducing early delivery.
The condition kills about 76,000 women and babies a year worldwide. In the United States, it occurs in about 8 percent of pregnancies and accounts for 15 percent of premature births.
Pregnant women routinely take a prenatal multivitamin containing small amounts of vitamins C and E, and a previous small study suggested that supplements might help prevent preeclampsia.
However, in light of the new research, some doctors are saying expectant mothers should not take supplements beyond what is in their multivitamin.
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