Role of Selenium in Prevention of Pre-Eclampsia

Preeclampsia remains a major obstetric complication affecting 5-10% of pregnancies worldwide, contributing significantly to maternal and fetal morbidity. Emerging evidence suggests selenium deficiency may play a pathogenic role through increased oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. This review evaluates current evidence on selenium supplementation for preeclampsia prevention. This study aimed to assess the role of selenium supplementation in prevention of pre- eclampsia in primigravida women. Subjects and methods: An analysis of all available research, including both experimental and observational studies (2000-2023) from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining selenium supplementation (any dosage) versus placebo/no intervention in pregnant women, with preeclampsia as a primary outcome. Data were extracted from 15 qualifying studies (10 RCTs, 5 cohort studies) and analyzed for consistency of effects across populations. Results: Supporting studies (n=9) showed that selenium supplementation (100–200 μg/day) reduced preeclampsia risk by 30–50%, particularly in selenium-deficient populations, through lowering oxidative stress by 45% (p