Objective: To examine the effects of selenium supplementation on pregnancy outcomes and disease progression among HIV-infected pregnant women in Lagos.
Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted among HIV-positive pregnant women between September 2018 and August 2019. At enrollment, 90 women were randomly assigned into each treatment arm to receive either a daily tablet of 200 μg elemental selenium or a placebo. Relevant participants' sociodemographic and clinical data were collected at enrollment and delivery.
Results: Women in the selenium arm had a significantly lower risk of preterm delivery (relative risk [RR] 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.11-0.96) and a non-significant reduction in the risk of delivering term neonates with a low delivery weight (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.05-1.19). Supplemental selenium does not increase the risk of perinatal death and adverse drug events.
Conclusion: The study reported a beneficial effect of prenatal selenium supplements on the risk of preterm delivery with no further reduction in risk among HIV-infected women who used the supplements for more than 14 weeks.
Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201809756724274).
Keywords: CD4+ cell count; Lagos; Lagos University Teaching Hospital; low birth weight; preterm delivery; selenium; viral load.
© 2020 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.