Effects of selenium supplementation on pregnancy outcomes and disease progression in HIV-infected pregnant women in Lagos: A randomized controlled trial

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).