High levels of homocysteine in pregnant women may be a marker of risk for preeclampsia and umbilical placental vascular disease, according to a new study.
Researchers studied plasma homocysteine levels in the mother and fetus during the third trimester of 26 normal pregnancies and 60 pregnancies with evidence of preeclampsia and placental vascular disease.
Maternal plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher than normals in women with either of these problems.
Fetal homocysteine levels were also higher, particularly for the preeclampsia group.
Infants in the affected groups were born earlier than those in the normal group, and they weighed significantly less at birth.
"In conclusion," the authors write, "our study has shown that maternal plasma homocysteine levels are significantly higher in pregnancy with preeclampsia and/or umbilical placental vascular disease," and that their findings "suggest that elevated circulating homocysteine may be involved in the pathogenesis of uteroplacental vascular disease associated with preeclampsia, and a risk marker for this in the mother."
Yet despite this new evidence as well as existing studies showing dangers of elevated homocysteine during pregnancy, a researcher told Reuters Health that "We do not yet have enough data to say homocysteine should be measured routinely in pregnant women.
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology July, 2000;107:935-938.
Another reason to eat plenty of vegetables, especially during pregnancy. High homocysteine levels have been associated very clearly with heart disease and I have reported on that many times in the past (see below).
It is interesting to find out that there are additional pregnancy complications that result from it. My guess is that it is not a huge problem in this country as most women are on prenatal vitamins and most all of them have large amounts of folic acid to prevent spinal cord defects. The folic acid is the main vitamin that is needed to normalize high homocysteine levels. Vitamin B6 and B12 are also helpful.
Actually, an even more serious threat from homocysteine is that it has been shown to cause birth defects (Nutr Rev 1998 Aug;56:236-44, Eur J Pediatr Surg 1996 Dec;6 Suppl 1:7-9).
Therefore, I think that the study author's assertion that homocysteine levels don't need to be measured during pregnancy is incorrect. Ideally, homocysteine levels should be checked in women before they get pregnant, since most birth defects develop in the first trimester and once a woman finds out that she is pregnant, it may be too late.
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