Open AccessThe effect of magnesium on maternal blood pressure in pregnancy‐induced hypertension A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial
Author(s) -
Rudnicki Martin,
Frölich Anne,
Fischeh Wiggo,
McNair Peter
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349109007158
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , magnesium , blood pressure , pregnancy , gestational age , gestational hypertension , birth weight , gestation , anesthesia , obstetrics , randomized controlled trial , neonatal intensive care unit , surgery , pediatrics , materials science , alternative medicine , pathology , biology , metallurgy , genetics
The effects of magnesium were compared with those of placebo in a randomized double‐blind controlled study of 58 patients with pregnancy‐induced hypertension, of whom 27 received magnesium and 31 placebo. Twenty patients in each group were nulliparas. The treatment comprised 48 h of either intravenous magnesium or placebo infusion followed by daily oral magnesium or placebo tablets until one day after delivery. Magnesium supplementation significantly reduced maternal mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). The gestational age at delivery was the same in both groups, whereas the relative fetal birth weight among nulliparas was reduced in the placebo group. Unbalanced analyses of variance suggested an influence of magnesium supplement on birth weight. The infants in the magnesium supplemented group spent fewer days in the neonatal intensive care unit. There were no perinatal deaths. Magnesium appeared to be beneficial in the management of pregnancy‐induced hypertension. The better outcome associated with magnesium supplementation may not have been due to reduction of MAP and further studies are needed to clarify whether magnesium influences birth weight.