Dietary fiber may prevent preeclampsia. (Up to a 51% Reduction in Risk).

NEW ORLEANS -- Increasing dietary fiber may help prevent preeclampsia, Dr. Ihunnaya O. Frederick said at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

This conclusion emerged from a case-control study that included 201 women with preeclampsia and 383 normotensive controls, said Dr. Frederick of the Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle.

During their postpartum hospital stay, study participants completed a structured interview questionnaire that collected information on sociodemographic, medical, reproductive, and lifestyle characteristics.

Dietary intake throughout pregnancy was recalled on a 121-item food frequency questionnaire, and total calories, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, and soluble fiber were calculated and stratified.

Maternal intake of total fiber was inversely associated with the risk of preeclampsia. In the study analysis, which controlled for maternal age, parity, prepregnancy body mass index, and household income, women whose dietary fiber intake was in the highest quartile (greater than 24.3 g/day) experienced a 51% reduction in risk of preeclampsia, compared with those in the lowest quartile (less than 13.1 g/day).

"Associations of roughly similar magnitudes were observed for both water-soluble and insoluble fiber when examined separately," Dr. Frederick reported in a poster presentation at the meeting, which was cosponsored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Moreover, the association of decreased risk for preeclampsia was seen in both nulliparous and multiparous women.