TITLE:
Efficacy of Magnesium and Alpha Lipoic Acid Supplementation in Reducing Premature Uterine Contractions
AUTHORS:
Eligio Parente, Giulia Colannino, Pasquale Ferrara
KEYWORDS:
Magnesium, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Preterm Labor, Tocolysis, Pregnancy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.4 No.9,
June
26,
2014
ABSTRACT: Objective: Premature uterine
contractions represent one of the major symptoms related to preterm labor. So
far, primary prevention of preterm labor is based on the early identification
of symptoms and on pharmacological treatments which are prone of several
secondary effects. In this double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled
trial, the efficacy of a supplementation of magnesium and alpha-lipoic acid has
been evaluated. Methods: Three hundred pregnant women at 14 - 34 weeks of
gestation were enrolled and randomly divided to receive a daily single tablet
containing a supplement of magnesium and alpha-lipoic acid (DAV®LoLiPharmasrl,
Rome-Italy) or placebo until delivery. The incidence of episodes of preterm
uterine contraction, associated or not with pain, as well as maternal need of
hospitalization was evaluated. Results: Magnesium and lipoic acid
supplementation was effective to significantly reduce the incidence of preterm
uterine contractions compared to placebo. In particular, 52% of women who
received the supplementation reported no symptoms of preterm uterine
contractions throughout pregnancy, and persistent episodes of uterine
contractions were significantly reduced compared to placebo (20% vs 60%,
respectively). Furthermore, only 20% of subjects who received the
supplementation required hospitalization, while it has been necessary for 40%
of women who received placebo. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that
supplementation with magnesium and lipoic acid is effective in reducing the
incidence of premature uterine contraction and related episodes of
hospitalization, compared to placebo. Nevertheless, further studies based on
larger cohorts of patients are necessary to confirm the efficacy of these
preliminary results.