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The Role of Vitamin E in Pregnancy

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Vitamin E in Human Health

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Abstract

Oxidative stress has been associated with low birth weight, preterm delivery, and preeclampsia, all important negative maternal or neonatal outcomes of pregnancy. Vitamin E, specifically RRR-α-tocopherol, has potent antioxidant effects that may help mitigate these risks if intake is optimal during pregnancy. Many complications of pregnancy and the neonatal period are augmented by inflammation making the task of defining optimal vitamin E status and antioxidant capacity during pregnancy a worthwhile endeavor. Clinical supplementation trials of vitamin E during pregnancy as reviewed by a 2015 Cochrane review are inconclusive or draw contradictory conclusions and have designs that do not lead to robust data for analysis. Additional information regarding placental regulation of α- and γ-tocopherols, fetal tissue incorporation, and fetal serum concentrations of tocopherol metabolites are other areas for continued research. A more complete understanding of vitamin E status of the pregnant woman and its impact on the develo** fetus as well as associations with pregnancy outcomes such as length of gestation, mode of delivery, and associations with preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and gestational diabetes is critical to improving pregnancy outcomes. Considerable scientific work remains necessary to fully understand the role of vitamin E in fertility and pregnancy and its ability to optimize maternal and neonatal outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to gratefully acknowledge the help of Ammar Kamil and Matthew VanOrmer for their help in the preparation of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Ann L. Anderson Berry

  2. Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPQIC), Omaha, NE, USA

    Ann L. Anderson Berry

  3. NICU and Newborn Nursery/Nebraska Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Ann L. Anderson Berry

  4. Medical Nutrition Education, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Allied Health Professions, Omaha, NE, USA

    Corrine K. Hanson

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  1. Ann L. Anderson Berry
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Correspondence to Ann L. Anderson Berry .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hohenheim, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Stuttgart , Germany

    Peter Weber

  2. University of Applied Sciences Fulda, Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences, Fulda, Germany

    Marc Birringer

  3. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Jeffrey B. Blumberg

  4. University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplain 1, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Manfred Eggersdorfer

  5. University of Hohenheim, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Stuttgart , Germany

    Jan Frank

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Anderson Berry, A.L., Hanson, C.K. (2019). The Role of Vitamin E in Pregnancy. In: Weber, P., Birringer, M., Blumberg, J., Eggersdorfer, M., Frank, J. (eds) Vitamin E in Human Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05315-4_28

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