Sixty pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes at 26 to 34 weeks' gestation were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 1) 500 mg/day of vitamin C and 400 IU/day of vitamin E or 2) placebo until delivery. All women received two doses of betamethasone in the first 24 hours after admission as well as broad-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis. The mean time before delivery was 10.5 days in the active-treatment group and 3.5 days in the placebo group (p = 0.03).

Comment: These results indicate that supplementation with vitamins C and E after preterm premature rupture of membranes resulted in a longer latency before delivery. The additional week of gestation afforded by the administration of these vitamins would allow for better development of the lungs and other vital tissues, and could mean the difference between a positive and negative birth outcome. In a previous study, supplementation with 100 mg/day of vitamin C, beginning in the 20th week of gestation, reduced the incidence of premature rupture of membranes by 74% among women with borderline-low dietary vitamin C intake (approximately 60 mg/day).

Borna S, e al. Vitamins C and E in the latency period in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2005;90:16-20.