ABSTRACT
Several retrospective evaluations have indicated its usefulness in the prevention of gestosis, premature birth, and intrauterine growth retardation. Two prospective controlled clinical studies have been published on the use of magnesium substitution during pregnancy. The usual alimentation cannot cover this need, and magnesium substitution throughout pregnancy, therefore, seems to be an important task in modern antenatal care. Naturally, the ratio of discontinuation was higher in the irregular groups: most of the subjects were “irregular” because of the discontinuation and consequently the treatment shorter than 15 weeks. In patients receiving magnesium substitution in a daily dose of 15 mmol during pregnancy, the incidence of small-for-date babies was significantly less than in those patients receiving placebo treatment. Also, in the magnesium-treated group the rate of preterm labor was less, the ratio of low birthweight infants was smaller, and the proportion of infants whose intrauterine growth was retarded was less.
