Maternal calcium supplementation and its effect on offspring blood pressure: A systematic review on the current evidence

Abstract

Background: Evidence proposes that maternal calcium (Ca) supplement during pregnancy may be associated with offspring blood pressure. The reduction in incidence of hypertension in mothers is proved; but the effects on the offspring are uncertain. Evidence suggests that increased maternal calcium intake during pregnancy may result in lower offspring blood pressure. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to summarize the evidence supporting an association between maternal dietary calcium intake during pregnancy and blood pressure in the offspring. Methods: The literatures were searched in available databases. The relevant papers were selected in three phases. After quality assessment, a reviewer extracted the data while another checked their extracted data. Findings: Four randomized clinical trials and three observational studies were included in this review. Results were more consistent among the studies including older children (age: 1 to 9 years) where a higher maternal calcium intake was associated with a reduction in offspring systolic blood pressure. One large randomized clinical trial found a clinically and statistically significant reduction in the incidence of hypertension in 7-year-old children (RR = 0.59, 95 CI: 0.39 to 0.90). Conclusion: There is evidence that confirm the association between maternal calcium intake during pregnancy and offspring blood pressure. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings given the small sample sizes and the methodological problems in many of the studies conducted so far. More studies on populations with calcium deficit are also needed. If confirmed, these findings could have important public health implications. Calcium supplementation during pregnancy is simple and inexpensive and may be a way to reduce the risk of hypertension and its sequels in the next generation. © 2015, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.