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There's a theory that antioxidants might prevent preeclampsia. But Adelaide researchers found no protection for mother or baby with Vitamins C and E, and in fact women taking the vitamins were more likely to develop high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is a potentially nasty condition often occurring in a woman's first pregnancy. It involves high blood pressure, loss of protein in the urine, an overactive immune system and dysfunctional blood vessels. Untreated, preeclampsia can lead to prematurity, foetal death and even death of the mother. Some people think that mechanisms in the body to protect against free radicals - damaging forms of oxygen - aren't working. If true, then that means antioxidants might prevent preeclampsia. Adelaide-based researchers did a trial of vitamins C and E in nearly 2000 women in their first pregnancy. Unfortunately there was no protection from these antioxidants for either mother or baby. Preeclampsia was just as likely and in fact women taking the vitamins were more likely to develop high blood pressure. It's possible that because these women were mostly well nourished Australians, they already had all the benefit they were going to get. So antioxidant supplements could still be of value, say in poor countries. But on the basis of this study their routine use here can't be justified.
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