Pilot study looks at efficacy and safety of cranberry capsules for pregnant women

In this study, researchers from the University of California evaluated the compliance with and tolerability of daily intake of cranberry capsule for the prevention of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) during pregnancy. The results of their study were published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

• The researchers recruited a total of 49 pregnant women from two sites and randomly assigned them to two groups: One group received two doses of cranberry daily at gestational ages less than 16 weeks, while the other group received a matching placebo.
• The researchers scheduled up to seven monthly visits for each patient and evaluated data pertaining to their delivery.
• The researchers reported that the mean compliance rate over the study period was 82 percent. For both groups, 74 percent of the patients achieved good compliance.
• According to compliance evaluation, most patients stopped taking the cranberry capsule after 34-38 weeks.
• Multivariate logistic regression and longitudinal analysis showed that cranberry treatment had a significant interaction time effect.
• Although 30 percent of patients withdrew from the study for various reasons, only one patients withdrew due to intolerance to the cranberry capsules. This suggested that cranberry consumption was not a predictor of gastrointestinal intolerance or study withdrawal.
• Meanwhile, loss to follow-up was due to either provider change (18 percent) and therapy disinterest (eight percent).
• Seven cases of ASB (but no cystitis or pylonephritis) occurred in five patients: eight percent in the cranberry group and 12 percent in the placebo.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that compliance with and tolerability of cranberry capsule ingestion are good among pregnant women, and that the supplement provides an effective means of preventing ASB during pregnancy.

Journal Reference:

Wing DA, Rumney PJ, Hindra S, Guzman L, Le J, Nageotte M. PILOT STUDY TO EVALUATE COMPLIANCE AND TOLERABILITY OF CRANBERRY CAPSULES IN PREGNANCY FOR THE PREVENTION OF ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 04 November 2015;21(11):700–706. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2014.0272