What is magnesium used for during pregnancy?

Magnesia in pregnancy is widely used throughout the world to treat primarily pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, preterm labor and related symptoms. Pre-eclampsia, also known as late toxicosis, preeclampsia or hypertension in pregnancy, is characterized by a dangerous increase in blood pressure, the presence of protein in the urine and edema. In severe cases, the condition also leads to visual impairment, kidney failure, hemorrhages in the liver and intestines, placental abruption, and fetal growth retardation. Pre-eclampsia can develop into eclampsia, when there is a loss of consciousness and convulsions begin, and also lead to a pathological change in the composition of the blood, which is deadly for a woman and a child.

Long-term empirical and clinical data support the effectiveness of magnesium sulfate, however, questions remain about its safety and mechanism of action. In domestic obstetrics, Magnesia is used at the slightest suspicion of, with an increase in pressure and, not to mention the appearance of protein in the urine, doctors suggest that pregnant women go to the hospital for preservation and undergo a course of treatment with the drug. But Western studies say that preeclampsia affects only 2-8% of all pregnancies, so many women are prescribed the drug unjustifiably. So why are pregnant women injected with magnesia and why is it recommended for almost every second expectant mother?

Magnesia is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate or magnesium salt of sulfuric acid with the formula MgSO4*7H2O. The substance has another name - Epsom salt, since it was obtained at the end of the 17th century from the water of a mineral spring in the city of Epsom and was widely used in medicine, agriculture and industry. Since 1906, it has been used to treat convulsions. Today, this natural mineral can be found in any pharmacy in the form of a white powder or solution.

What is Magnesia used for during pregnancy

Magnesia during pregnancy is prescribed as a multifactorial agent with a wide spectrum of action:

• the vasodilating effect is aimed at the peripheral vascular network and cerebral circulation;
• protection of the blood-brain barrier;
• diuretic action and protection against edema;
• anticonvulsant.

In the US and Europe, Magnesia drops during pregnancy are prescribed for prevention and treatment, and are most often prescribed in the 3rd trimester.

In Russia, the indications for the use of Magnesia are much wider:

• with edema of pregnant women as a diuretic;
• with symptoms of preeclampsia: high blood pressure, protein in the urine, edema and convulsions in severe cases;
• as a tocolytic - to relax the smooth muscles of the uterus and relieve tone;
• as a sedative;
• with a lack of magnesium;
• as a prophylaxis with a predisposition to the formation of blood clots;
• as part of the complex therapy of placental abruption and fetal growth retardation syndrome.

What else is Magnesia used for during pregnancy? Magnesia also has laxative, antiarrhythmic, choleretic properties. It has a protective effect on the nerve tissue of the child, protecting against cerebral palsy, and has a positive effect on metabolism, preventing low body weight in newborns.

In Russia, Magnesia is prescribed even in early pregnancy as a tocolytic agent, but in the 1st and 2nd trimesters, the use of the drug for this purpose is useless, since it acts on smooth muscles only during its contraction, that is, during contractions. Magnesium sulfate crosses the placenta, so the use of magnesium during pregnancy in the first trimester is not only inappropriate, but also incomparable with the risks for fetal development.

Also, electrophoresis with magnesia is often prescribed during pregnancy. On the one hand, this allows you to deliver the substance directly to the uterus, but on the other hand, late toxicosis and convulsions are a contraindication to the procedure. Thus, electrophoresis can be used exclusively as a means of prevention at a high risk of preeclampsia, but not in its direct treatment.

Release form

Possible complications for the child:

1. Newborns may show signs of magnesium poisoning (difficulty breathing or neuromuscular depression) if the mother was given intravenous drip during pregnancy shortly before delivery.
2. Some studies show that the use of Magnesia is associated with a decrease in blood flow through the brain tissue in preterm infants. However, magnesium sulfate does not lead to a significant decrease in Apgar scores in newborns, even with a significant excess of magnesium in their blood.
3. Prolonged intravenous administration, for example, during tocolysis, can lead to persistent hypocalcemia and congenital in the fetus.
4. The combination of prenatally acquired magnesium sulfate and the antibiotic gentamicin (given after birth, passes into breast milk) can lead to respiratory depression in newborns.

In fact, Magnesia is more toxic to the mother than to the baby in the womb.

According to the instructions, the side effects of Magnesia during pregnancy may include:

• decreased heart rate, sweating, depression of cardiac activity, nervous and muscle conduction;
• headache;
• anxiety;
• weakness;
• dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting, increased urine production (with too rapid intravenous / intramuscular injection or ingestion);
• flatulence, stomach cramps, thirst (when taken orally);
• The most dangerous complications are respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.

Magnesia is an effective option for the treatment and prevention of eclampsia and its accompanying edema, high blood pressure. It is also used as a sedative, tocolytic agent, and when taken orally - as a laxative. The mechanism of its action covers both the vascular and neurological systems, removing the dangerous symptoms of preeclampsia and reducing anxiety. The drug crosses the placenta and affects the fetus, but when prescribed according to real indications, its benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Olga Rogozhkina

midwife

Magnesia is used to treat pregnancy pathologies exclusively in a hospital setting. Short-term and strictly dosed use of Magnesia is considered safe in late pregnancy for both the expectant mother and her child. That is, in the early stages, this drug is contraindicated. Even if there is a threat of miscarriage in the first trimester, it is strongly recommended to keep the pregnancy with other medicines. This is due to the fact that scientific studies on the effects of Magnesia on the fetus have not been carried out in full, and at the beginning of any pregnancy, when all systems and organs of the fetus are being laid and formed, any drugs should be limited as much as possible.

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