Pre-eclampsia (characterised by new-onset hypertension and new-onset proteinuria during pregnancy) corresponds to a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality contributing to about 76,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 foetal and new-born deaths every year. Low dietary calcium intake prior to and during pregnancy is a risk factor for pre-eclampsia, and calcium supplementation in women in areas of low dietary calcium intake is considered to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and its complications. However, clinical trials conducted to date have demonstrated conflicting results on calcium supplementation strategies for preventing pre-eclampsia.

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There is an urgent need to determine how calcium supplementation can be used most effectively to prevent and reduce pre-eclampsia to reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Optimising the use of calcium to prevent pre-eclampsia is a priority area for the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the 2018 Guideline Development Group (GDG) identified that further research on the minimal dose and optimal commencement schedule for calcium supplementation was a high research priority.

 

Prevention of pre-eclampsia and its complications is crucial to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work for universal health coverage.