A woman's need for meeting the current recommended levels of calcium just took on new urgency. In today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists from McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) report that consuming sufficient calcium during pregnancy can reduce the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and pre- eclampsia, a potentially fatal disorder of high blood pressure and kidney failure. Pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia affect up to one in seven American women and are leading causes of c- sections, pre-term births and low birth-weight babies, making them among the most important issues in pregnancy care.
The most extensive summary of randomized controlled trials in this area to date, McMaster researchers reviewed the data from 14 trials involving nearly 2,500 pregnant women. The compelling results indicate that 1,500 to 2,000 mg daily of calcium supplementation can lower the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension by 70% and the risk of pre- eclampsia by over 60%!
Experts Urge Pregnant Women: Get Your Calcium! This point was supported in an accompanying editorial written by David A. McCarron, M.D., Co-Director of the Calcium Information Center, Co-Head of the Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Oregon Health Sciences University and an accomplished hypertension researcher in his own right. "There is a calcium crisis in this country," said Dr. McCarron. "The most recent government survey shows that women of child-bearing age are consuming less than 600 mg of calcium a day, with many getting less than 400! The pre- natal vitamins most doctors prescribe just don't make up the difference -- they contain 200, maybe 300 mg of calcium. The bottom line is that pregnant and lactating women should increase their calcium intake to recommended levels through dietary means whenever possible, by including low-fat dairy products (such as milk, cheese, yogurt), certain dark green vegetables (such as broccoli and kale), and making up the difference by adding a reliable calcium supplement (like TUMS(R)) . This simple, yet significant intervention could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars every year if employed by all women of child-bearing age."
Calcium Information Center To reach a healthcare professional regarding today's news about the importance of calcium during pregnancy, phone the CIC CALCIUM INFORMATION LINE -- 1-800-321-2681. Established in 1991, The Calcium Information Center is a component of the Clinical Nutrition Research Units of the New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Oregon Health Sciences University.
To receive a fax of further information on this study, call toll freee, 1-800-753-0352, ext. 707, or contact Anne FitzSimons, 212-326-9800.