Mohsen Taghizadeh; Sabihe-Alsadat Alizadeh; Zatollah Asemi
Abstract
Background: To our knowledge, no reports are available indicating the effects of synbiotics on pregnancy outcomes and maternal biochemical indices in pregnant women.Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of daily consumption of a synbiotic food on pregnancy outcomes and maternal ...
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Background: To our knowledge, no reports are available indicating the effects of synbiotics on pregnancy outcomes and maternal biochemical indices in pregnant women.Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of daily consumption of a synbiotic food on pregnancy outcomes and maternal biochemical indices among Iranian pregnant women.Patients and Methods: This double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted among 52 pregnant women, primigravida, aged from 18 to 35 years with singleton pregnancy at their third trimester. After a 2-week run-in period, pregnant women were divided into two groups to receive either a synbiotic (n = 26) or control food (n = 26) for 9 weeks randomly. The synbiotic food contained a probiotic viable and heat-resistant Lactobacillus sporogenes(1 × 10 7CFU) and 0.04 g inulin (HPX)/g as the prebiotic. Subjects were requested to consume the synbiotic food two times a day in 9 g portions, followed by checking for newborn’s weight, height, head circumference, Apgar score, and hyperbilirubinemia. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and 9 weeks after the intervention to measure serum calcium, iron, and magnesium and liver enzymes.Results: Supplementation with synbiotic food for 9 weeks among pregnant women did not affect any significant differences in the cesarean section rate, gestational age, newborn birth size and Apgar score. Synbiotic-supplemented women had a significant rise in serum calcium levels (+0.2 ± 1.0 vs. -0.5 ± 0.8 mg/dL, P = 0.005) compared to women in the control group, while no significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of their effects on serum iron, magnesium and liver enzymes levels.Conclusions: Taken together, consumption of synbiotic food among pregnant women for 9 weeks has resulted in increased levels of serum calcium compared to the control food, but did not affect pregnancy outcomes, serum iron, magnesium and liver enzymes.
