Cochrane review casts doubt over benefits of calcium during pregnancy
The review looked at ten RCTs involving 37,000 women.
There is no convincing evidence that supports calcium supplementation as an effective prevention strategy for pre-eclampsia or other hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, says the Cochrane review.
Its findings challenge the WHO’s recommendation that pregnant women with low dietary calcium intake be given oral elemental calcium.
It also disputes longstanding beliefs about its effectiveness in preventing hypertensive complications during pregnancy.
The Cochrane review of 10 randomised trials involving more than 37,000 pregnant women found no convincing evidence that calcium supplementation reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia, nor does it affect maternal or perinatal mortality.
