Effects of Selenium Supplementation on Incidence and Severity of Preeclampsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial

Background: Preeclampsia is a serious hypertensive condition of pregnancy associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In this study, the effect of selenium supplementation on the incidence and severity of preeclampsia in pregnant women was evaluated. Methods: The present double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study was registered at Fatemieh Hospital of Hamadan, Iran. One hundred eighty women in the first trimesters of pregnancy were assigned to either selenium (SG, n = 90) or placebo (PG, n = 90) groups. SG and PG received 100 μg of selenium supplement or placebo per day, respectively. Results: In this study, no significant difference was observed between two groups in terms of age, body mass index, and serum selenium before the intervention (P > 0.05). The incidence of preeclampsia in the SG and PG was 9 and 5, respectively (P = 0.28). There was no statistically significant difference between sex and Apgar score of neonates in the two groups (P = 0.73). The mean birth weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the SG was significantly higher than PG (P = 0.003, 0.01, and 0.007, respectively). The mean gestational age in the SG was insignificantly lower than the PG (P = 0.41). After the study, preeclampsia incidence was not significant between the groups (P = 0.28). Conclusion: The administration of 100 μg of selenium supplementation in pregnant women, had no effect on decreasing preeclampsia, but it may reduce the severity of preeclampsia.