Muscle Cramps During Pregnancy

Muscle cramps in the lower extremities are common during pregnancy — mostly during the second half of pregnancy and often at night. Proposed treatments have included calcium and magnesium, but neither has proved effective. In this small study, researchers randomized 84 pregnant Iranian women to receive calcium carbonate (500 mg once a day), magnesium aspartate (7.5 mmoles twice a day), thiamine (B₁; 100 mg) plus pyridoxine (B₆; 40 mg) once a day, or no treatment for 2 weeks.

Results were evaluated 2 weeks after cessation of treatment and categorized as no change, relative improvement (decrease in frequency and intensity of cramps), or absolute improvement (complete absence of cramps). Absolute improvement was reported most often in the vitam…