Effect of maternal calcium supplementation on offspring blood pressure in 5- to 10-y-old rural Gambian children.
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that increased maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may result in lower offspring blood pressure, prompting calls for more robust data in this field, particularly in settings of habitually low calcium intake.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to investigate the effect of maternal calcium supplementation on blood pressure in offspring by recruiting children born after a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of calcium supplementation during pregnancy.


METHODS
Children (n = 389) from a rural area of The Gambia (mean age: 7.4 ± 1.2 y; range: 5-10 y), whose mothers received a calcium supplement (1500 mg Ca/d from 20 wk of gestation until delivery) or placebo, were followed up in West Africa. Blood pressure was assessed under standardized conditions with use of the Omron 705IT automated oscillometric device (Morton Medical Ltd, London, United Kingdom), and anthropometric and body composition (bioelectrical impedance) measurements were also made.


RESULTS
The analysis was restricted to 350 children born at term, which represented 64% of original trial births. There was no difference in systolic (adjusted mean difference: -0.04 mm Hg; 95% CI: -1.78, 1.69 mm Hg) or diastolic (adjusted mean difference: 0.25 mm Hg; 95% CI: -1.27, 1.77 mm Hg) blood pressure between children whose mothers had received calcium and those who received placebo. No interaction between childhood body mass index (in kg/m(2); mean: 14.0) and maternal calcium supplementation was observed in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
Calcium supplementation in the second half of pregnancy in Gambian women with very low habitual calcium intakes may not result in lower offspring blood pressure at 5-10 y of age.
Hawkesworth
Sophie
S
Medical Research Council International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom. sophie.hawkesworth@lshtm.ac.uk
Sawo
Yankuba
Y
Fulford
Anthony J C
AJ
Goldberg
Gail R
GR
Jarjou
Landing M A
LM
Prentice
Ann
A
Moore
Sophie E
SE
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D055105:Waist Circumference
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D008055:Lipids