A study of 1,500 pregnant women examined the effects of antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamins E and C on the calcification of placental tissue caused by smoking. The amount of daily antioxidants each woman consumed was calculated using the results of interviews with nutritionists. For each dietary unit of vitamin E there was an approximate 47 percent reduction in the risk of placental calcification. A similar trend was seen for vitamin C and beta-carotene, but this finding was limited to African-American women. A diet rich in antioxidants may also be important for pregnant nonsmokers whose placentas may be at increased risk of damage due to pregnancy-induced high blood pressure or exposure to environmental pollutants.
-American Journal of Epidemiology, 1998; 147
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 19, May 7, 1999)
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