Effects of Vitamin E, Calcium Carbonate and Milk of Magnesium on Muscular Cramps in Pregnant Women

Muscular cramp is a painful, local and unusual contraction of one or a group of muscles; more than half of pregnant women suffer from leg muscular cramps. The present study investigates the effect of vitamin E treatment, milk of magnesium suspension and calcium carbonate treatment on pregnant women with leg cramps. This is a descriptive cross-sectional interventional study on 120 pregnant multiparous women aged between 25 to 35 years which suffered from muscular cramps and were in 25-28th week of gestational age provisionally referred to shahrekord gynecology clinic between September 2004 and July 2005. They were randomizely divided to three groups. The number, tensity and duration of cramps were registered for a term of 45 days the first group was given vitamin E, second group was given milk of magnesium suspension (oral) and third group was given calcium carbonate tablet. On 45th and 90th days of treatment, the number, tensity and duration of muscular cramps was repeatedly examined. Mean of cramp duration in each three groups was reduced in second visit but in third visit only that group which took vitamin E showed reduction in mean cramp duration. During the second visit of all three groups had reduction in the number of leg cramps in comparison with the first visit and means the tensity of cramp pains was reduced but in third visit (after 90 days of treatment) the severity and number of pains in first group remarkably was reduced in comparison with two other groups. It seems that vitamin E is more effective in reduction of number, severity and duration of leg cramps during the pregnancy in comparison with milk of magnesium suspension and calcium carbonate.