title: Vitamin C status, cervico-vaginal infection and premature rupture of amniotic membranes.
abstract: A prospective study to evaluate the role of vitamin C and cervico-vaginal infection in the premature rupture of amniotic membranes (PROM) was designed. The leukocyte vitamin C levels of 44 pregnant women that did not consume vitamin supplements was evaluated at weeks 20, 28 and 32 of pregnancy. On each evaluation the presence of cervico-vaginal infection was diagnosed and treated. The leukocyte vitamin C level throughout gestation showed a decrease towards week 28 and then it recovered at the end of pregnancy. Six of every ten women had normal flora in their vaginal secretion cultures. Eleven cases had PROM (0.24), no association was found between cervico-vaginal infection and PROM. The leukocyte vitamin C levels on week 20 of gestation showed an association with PROM. (chi 2 = 6.34, p < 0.05, odds ratio 6.75 [CI 1.26-26.03]).
authors.affiliation: División de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México, D.F.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casanueva
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Avila-Rosas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tejero
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Narcio-Reyes
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology